


Of Dragons and Men

by dreamerxatxheart



Series: The Ten-Four Club [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Canon-Typical Violence, Dragon Eren Yeager, Human Trafficking, Minor Armin Arlert/Erwin Smith, Multi, Nonbinary Hange Zoë, Past Armin Arlert/Reiner Braun - Freeform, Polyamory, Switching, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-24
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-09-26 16:01:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9910361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamerxatxheart/pseuds/dreamerxatxheart
Summary: Eren is a dancer at his boyfriend Jean's nightclub, but after Armin and Eren give a private dance to Levi, Erwin, and Hange, they reveal that their visit wasn't what it appeared. Eren is unexpectedly thrust into an investigation of the darker, seedier side to the business where he works in addition to hiding an even bigger secret to protect himself and his loved ones from harm.Previously published asA Dragon's Ace.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As the summary states, this was previously published under the title _**A Dragon's Ace**_ which I have since deleted. I've been working on editing this for a while. A lot has changed, but a lot has stayed the same. I'll write a lengthier note at the end but going forward, I don't plan on using notes for anything other than chapter by chapter warnings. If you need me to tag anything, please don't hesitate to ask!

His bright emerald green scales shimmered under the blinking fluorescent light in the bathroom while the walls around him throbbed with the loud dance music that managed to leak under the door. He ran a finger down his arm, staring into his reflection and meeting his own golden gaze. A loud chuckle outside the door alerted him to the presence of another man, or two. He slid into a stall taking a deep breath as a cold tingling sensation rippled out from his spine down to his toes and up through his skull.

“Fuck me,” a man gasped. The splash of water partially drowned out the noise of the other man’s voice, but Eren was still able to make it out.

“That’s what I'm here for.” _Cute._ Sloppy wet kissing noises and loud sucks echoed off the cheap eggplant-colored tile. Eren leaned against the stall door debating on whether or not he should interrupt or just wait it out. He heard a zipper and an unguarded moan followed by the slam of a body hitting the porcelain wall.

“Oh fuck,” one of the men rasped.

“Fuck it,” he mumbled to himself. He ripped the stall door open with a bang and found one of the men on his knees with a mouthful of cock while the other ran his fingers through his own tangled hair. The man getting sucked off smiled and caught Eren’s eye before he had a chance to escape.

“Hello, gorgeous, nnngh, I’d like a taste of that,” he panted as his obviously drunk partner continued.

“Thanks, but maybe another time.” If he hadn’t been at work, Eren would probably have told the man to fuck off, but instead he slipped out before hearing the man’s reply. The dark room pulsed under the cloud emitted from the fog machine. It amplified the blinking strobe lights making it difficult to see. Two hundred or so sweaty bodies moved to the overwhelming bass that thrummed in Eren’s chest even on the outskirts of the room. The air smelled of alcohol, sweat, and faintly of sex. Eren could make out a few men who were making the most of the dark room. Most would overlook them, but Eren had an eye for it now that he had been working at the club for almost two years. A sharp smack on his ass had Eren flinging his head around for the offending party. It was one of the men from the bathroom, the one who had been too busy to talk.

“Hey babe, buy me a drink,” he slurred, wrapping an arm around Eren’s elbow and leaning into him. He smelled like cheap vodka.

“Sorry. On the clock.” Eren disentangled himself from the man and squeezed his way across the room, experience alerting him to watch out for puddles of water and alcohol.

“You sure took your sweet time.” A thin, lightly freckled arm snaked around Eren’s waist, pulling the taller man into the shorter blond one.

“Jean was about to get his panties all in a wad cos we’ve got a private dance waiting in one of the back rooms. VIPs apparently,” Armin continued. Eren didn’t reply; instead, he followed his friend who wore matching glittered spandex shorts down a dark hallway before stopping in front of one of the closed doors. Armin’s slender fingers gently rapped the door.

“Your party service has arrived,” Armin trilled as the door swung open slowly. Inside, the room was mostly black. The floor was covered in wall-to-wall plush jet carpet. Against the back and left wall was a long L-shaped sofa made of black leather that was worn in a few spots if one looked close enough. 

Although the private room could easily accommodate groups of twelve, more if the guests didn’t mind sitting on top of each other or standing against a wall, there were only three people on the couch. Eren and Armin exchanged a look as they took in their clients. A tall blond sat in the direct middle of the sofa, his long arms stretched over the back. To his right was a brunet with thick glasses and to their right was another man with glossy black hair. All three of them were impeccably dressed and looked out of place in the dingy club. 

Neither dancer said a word as they moved at the same time. Armin walked to the middle of the room where a small square stage with a silver pole stood. Eren turned to the large opened cage on the right wall, closing the door behind him and turning to face his audience. The lights in the room dimmed and a moderately paced song played over the speakers. Armin’s dancing frequently outshone Eren’s because Armin had spent hours watching videos about how to improve his technique. Initially, he had been far less rhythmic in his dancing than Eren but that had changed quickly with practice and made him the most requested dancer. Eren was the next most requested, and he was fairly certain it had less to do with his dancing skills and more to do with his physique. He did spend a lot more time staying bulked than his lithe best friend. 

Eren turned his gaze away from the blond man and the brunet who were eagerly eyeing Armin to the dark-haired man who couldn’t have looked more disinterested. It was unusual given that they had spent a pocketful to get the two most requested dancers in their largest private room. It itched his curiosity, and he had a feeling that Armin felt the same from the way he had paused before draping his body against the cold metal. It wouldn’t have looked like that to their patrons, but the minute delay showed Eren that Armin’s brain was analyzing everything before them just as he was. He smirked and slid his hands over his well-sculpted torso that was drenched in body glitter.

The man’s dark hair fell over his eyes. He seemed to be staring off towards the end table where a bucket of ice and champagne sat waiting to be uncorked. He turned his head slightly towards Eren. The movement reignited his curiosity. _Is he uninterested? Or just pretending?_ Eren dragged his fingers over his abs before sliding lower and reaching into the fabric of his shorts. He tugged the waistband, lifting the taut fabric up while trying to catch the man’s eye. The man surprised Eren by blushing up to his ears and whipping his head away so that he wasn’t facing Eren anymore. He could take a hint; even with his burning curiosity, he didn’t want to make the man uncomfortable.

Eren redirected his gaze back to the brunet who had turned their attention to him. He shot them a smile as he rolled his body and thrust against the bars. Armin had already climbed into the lap of the blond man. The air between the two of them crackled with energy that Eren could feel all the way on the opposite side of the room. Eren stepped out of the cage and made his way over to the sofa, straddling the bespectacled person and smiling at them as he gyrated to the new song that played. He tugged one of their hands to his chest and trailed their cold fingertips along the dips and ridges of his well-defined muscles.

“I don’t know how you can sit there so composed, Levi,” they giggled, turning their attention to the dark-haired man. The man, Levi, shot them a withering glare which didn’t seem effective in stopping the brunet. Levi briefly caught Eren’s eyes before turning his attention to the unopened champagne. He grumbled as he pulled it out of the melting ice, ripping off the wire cage around the top and twisting the cork open with a violent jerk. Eren stood up and reached for the bottle as the pop echoed and champagne spilled out and over the sides.

“Allow me,” Eren said, licking the foam off the sides of the bottle. He avoided the mouth of the bottle while maintaining eye contact with Levi. It was a bit much, even for him, but he had the strange urge to see Levi rattled. He grabbed one of the plastic flutes next to the bucket and carefully poured a glass before passing it to him. Levi accepted the drink, and when their fingers brushed as the glass traded hands, Eren politely ignored the blush that crept down Levi’s neck. He filled the other glass and passed it to Levi’s friend who watched the exchange with avid interest. A muffled crackling sound scratched out over the speakers disrupting the music and Armin’s lap dance. A clipped voice reverberated through the room.

“Eren, I need to see you in my office.” Eren glanced up at where he knew the camera was located before shrugging. The gesture wouldn’t go unnoticed to the person watching. He pulled the brunet’s hand back to his stomach one last time, smiling as their face flushed before directing his attention to Levi who refused to look at him. Eren slipped his hand under Levi’s jaw, trailing a finger from his ear to his chin, pulling it to look up at him. Without hesitation, Eren pressed a kiss to his cheek. A soft gasp escaped Levi. When he pulled back, he saw Levi’s slate eyes widening at the surprise kiss.

“Eren,” the voice warned over the speaker. He’d probably be in trouble for that, but Levi’s expression was worth it. He withdrew his hand and glanced back to check on Armin. His friend waved him off with a smile. He’d earn more tips if he finished out the rest of their time without him. Eren didn’t waste anymore time and left the room, taking the set of stairs behind the sound room that led directly to the VIP lounge.

Upstairs the vibe was completely different. It was slower and more relaxed as each guest chatted with their neighbor across the table or seated next to them. The music didn’t distract or disrupt their conversations. It was muted and didn’t carry too much from below. Eren smiled automatically as he walked past the lounge before reaching the offices. He didn’t even have to knock before the door was wrenched open. Jean scowled at him.

“I see you’re doing everything you can for a tip, Jaeger,” his boyfriend and general manager growled, shutting the door behind him. Eren shrugged. As much as he felt like teasing his boyfriend, he made an effort not to antagonize him at work, especially because he knew that Jean worried about him much more than he let on.

“Kyle was drinking at the bar again,” Eren offered instead. The distraction worked and Jean dragged a hand down his long face as he groaned. 

“Great. Just what I needed. I need to have another talk with Ymir about not serving him when he’s clocked in. Again.” He spat out the last word. 

“Anyways, that’s not what I dragged you up here for…” Jean trailed off as he got a better look at Eren. He was always helpless when Eren was dressed for work. Eren smirked and leaned over the desk. He watched as Jean’s eyes slid down his body. They hovered momentarily at his pierced nipples before falling further. Eren could see the exact moment that Jean’s mouth went dry with lust. Jean sucked unconsciously, trying to swallow his nonexistent saliva.

“Were you taking a crap earlier?” Eren rocked back, extremely confused at Jean’s sudden question. _Was he thinking of a quickie?_ They hadn’t had one at work since Ymir had walked in on them. Jean had promised profusely they wouldn’t do it again.

“What?” Eren blurted out. Jean seemed to realize how bizarre his seemingly random question was and slumped back in his chair. He pointed to the screens where the camera feeds were. It didn’t have as many as the security office downstairs, but they did show some of the key areas of the building.

“I saw you go into the front bathroom, but you were in there for a bit.” The unasked question lingered in the air. Eren didn’t want to him to know he had shifted in the bathroom. Jean would be concerned, and there would be a lecture and questions about why he had needed to shift in the first place. He went with a half-truth.

“Yeah, there was a dude getting sucked off. I was planning my escape.” Jean shook his head. 

“Did you let Marco know?” 

“No, Armin found me first and said we had a private dance.” Jean nodded, jotting down a memo on one of the sticky notes nearby that had enough space for his chicken scratch. When Jean didn’t add anything else, Eren turned to leave hoping he might still have enough time with the three that he might be able to earn some more tips. 

“C’mere.” Eren turned back to Jean who pulled him in for a kiss. He could feel the corners of his mouth creep up into a smile. 

“Fucking dork,” he mumbled against Jean’s lips. Someone behind them cleared their throat causing the both of them to jump apart. Levi, the brunet, and the blond watched the two of them with amused expressions. Eren was more than a little confused when Jean greeted them warmly. He hadn’t realized Jean knew them personally or that he had been expecting them. It didn’t help that he felt oddly guilty when he met Levi’s eyes. He almost looked disappointed.

“Ah! Nice to see you again. Have a seat, please. I’d love to hear your thoughts now that you’ve had some time to explore the place.” Eren had never really gotten used to hearing Jean’s business voice and took it as his cue to leave. He sidestepped the trio, leaving them to whatever meeting they had planned when Levi stopped him. The smaller man reached up to his cheek and for a brief moment, Eren wondered if he was going to return the swift kiss he had given him earlier, but Levi pulled his hand away quickly after brushing it against his cheek.

“You had an eyelash.” Levi showed him the offending hair, offering it to Eren who blew it off his finger without a thought. He looked back at Jean whose eyebrows had shot up into his hairline and worked to keep the work-friendly smile plastered to his face. He seemed just as perplexed as Eren. He gave Levi a hurried thanks and excused himself from the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, for those who are already familiar with this story and what happens and are curious as to what's different and what's the same, I'll explain a little bit, but I won't put too much as I'd like to see your candid reactions. So, be warned for all those new, **there be spoilers ahead**.
> 
> A lot of what's changed is some of the negative things I associate with snk fics in general that I found in this work originally. Some of that was just because I was a bit rusty and through reading fanfic picked up a lot of bad habits. This fic will be a lot less raunchy (I guess?) than it was previously. Don't worry, there will still be smut, but it won't be nearly as vulgar? I don't know. I just felt it was very cringey in a lot of places. 
> 
> Another thing to note is that Eren and Jean's relationship has changed which means the set up later will be quite different. I thought it was too melodramatic, and honestly, I really just wanted to write good, fluffy times with these two. ~~Two birds, one stone.~~
> 
> There will be more Mikasa and Armin. Armin's relationship with Erwin will be different as well, so the oneshot with Erwin will be different, but I'll be putting that back up, too. 
> 
> I'm also fixing it so that it lines up more now with the plot I have than the one I had when I started writing. 
> 
> I think that's about all I got. 
> 
> One final thing! I'm planning on uploading each new edited chapter on Fridays until we get to Chapter 10. After that it will be every other week cos the chapters are significantly longer. I'm not sure what the posting schedule will be after that, but there isn't a lot else that needs to happen past Chapter 20, which was the last posted chapter, so hopefully this will be finished before the end of the year. 
> 
> Sorry for the lengthy note, but feel free to ask if there's anything you're concerned about that I might have left out. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

Eren was still recovering from his embarrassment and confusion when he noticed a young blonde woman who sat between two larger men on one of the couches in the VIP lounge. He forcefully slowed his brisk pace down to a walk, a smile spread across his face as he made his way back downstairs. Her bored stare caught Eren’s eye just before he made his descent. The vacant look threw him off and made his customer-service smile waver. At the bottom of the stairs, he ran into Armin.

“Eren! I was just looking for you.” Armin seemed relieved to see him. Eren cocked an eyebrow, but Armin just shook his head. 

“I hope you weren’t thinking of getting away without cleaning up!” Armin grabbed Eren by the elbow and dragged him back to the party room. The opened champagne sat out on the end table with the half-filled flutes. It looked like Levi and the brunet hadn’t enjoyed the premium bubbly after he left.

“They didn’t leave too much of mess for us,” Eren observed, looking at the ice bucket now filled with cold water instead of ice. He dumped the remaining liquid from the glasses into the bucket and picked it up with one arm. With his other hand, he deftly grabbed the bottle and the plastic flutes by their stems. Eren hissed when the bucket made contact with his bare chest. 

“Did you get much?” Eren asked. He caught Armin staring at a spot on the couch. 

“No, besides, as soon as you left all the fun was over anyways.” Armin pouted, crossing his arms as he shot Eren a cold look. Eren didn’t take the bait. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something seemed off about Armin. Maybe they hadn’t given him any tips because Eren left early? It would be a shitty thing to do, but it wasn’t entirely unheard of. That or Kyle had managed to swipe their tips again, something that Eren hadn’t mentioned to Jean yet. He knew that conversation wouldn't go over well. 

“Can you get the door?” Armin jumped up to help him. 

“I’ll wipe down the couches and meet you out on the floor in a minute.” Eren watched his friend’s forehead crinkle in thought, but he gave Eren a genuine smile as soon as he noticed Eren observing him. Armin held the door open. Maybe he was just overthinking things.

Eren dropped the flutes into the nearest trashcan before taking the mostly full bottle to the bar. It seemed wasteful that they had to dispose of it as it couldn’t be resold once opened. He handed it to Ymir who gave him a nod in greeting before she turned her attention back to the customers in front of her. She didn’t look happy. He took the bucket to one of the bars that had already closed and emptied it into one of the sinks, leaving it upside down to drain overnight. 

Someone was watching him. He smothered the feeling that made his skin crawl and slowly turned in the direction where he felt the menacing vibe was coming from. It was the three from the party room. He felt a familiar wave of panic wash through him. _Did they know?_ He dismissed the idea as soon as he thought it. There wasn’t anyway that they could have found out. He didn’t do anything that would have signaled to them that he might be different. The brunet with the glasses waved excitedly at Eren. He guessed they had enjoyed themselves after all. 

Levi caught Eren’s eyes, and he felt pinned from across the room by his penetrating gaze. Eren took the opportunity to check him out. He was far more attractive than he initially realized, but there was something about him that made it easy to overlook, as if he could somehow blend seamlessly into his surroundings. It made him even more curious as to what this well-dressed man and his companions wanted from Jean. It almost made him wonder if maybe he _shouldn’t_ be asking those kinds of questions. If that was the case, he needed to talk to Jean before he got in over his head.

“Oh? What’s with the staring contest?” Armin’s voice snapped Eren out of his daze. He had still been staring at Levi who was now giving Eren a look that he couldn’t quite read. Evidently, his staring hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“Dunno what the hell you’re talking about.” Eren tried to cover, not that Armin would believe him. 

“Uh huh. Not buying it. What did Jean need you for anyways?”

“He wanted to know why I was in the bathroom so long.”

“Seriously?” Eren replied with a distracted “yeah.” The trio hadn’t moved.

“Eren?” Armin sounded worried. He flashed him a quick grin and shifted down the bar until someone offered to buy him a drink. He knew he ought to refuse, not only because he was working, but also because he was very sensitive to alcohol. However, he found himself giving the man a confident “sure!” and was treated to a long island iced tea. He knocked it back quickly which had the man looking at him like he was out of his mind. Eren patted him just a bit too hard on the arm, sending the man stumbling as he thanked him. 

He was already feeling the effects of it when he climbed into his cage near the DJ booth. He ignored the shiver that traveled down his spine despite sweating profusely, knowing exactly what it meant but didn't care enough to stop dancing. He was doing what he was paid for, at least until someone else came along and asked him for a private dance. _Maybe he’d be lucky, and Levi would ask him for one more before he left._ His vision started to double. _Fuck. That wasn’t good._

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” An arm yanked him out of the cage which sent him sliding right into some man’s arms. He let out a sigh when he inhaled Jean's scent.

“You smell so good.” He shoved his face into Jean’s neck, dragging his nose across his skin. Jean froze.

“Goddamnit Eren, you’re about to shift!” Eren ignored him and pressed a kiss to Jean’s neck. He already knew that. Why was he stating the obvious? Jean patted his cheek roughly.

“Ow! What the fuck was that for?” Eren rubbed his face in an attempt to soothe the sting. Jean wrapped an arm around his shoulder and walked him quickly towards the exit. Eren flopped his head onto Jean’s shoulder.

“Eren, you’re burning up. We’ve got to move it.” Jean pulled Eren through the crowd. As they got closer to the front doors, Eren happened to notice Armin who was frowning. He could count on hearing from him later about the effects of alcohol on people like him, if he was lucky, and he didn’t mention it to Mikasa. Eren nodded at him, trying to smile before he started looking around again. The three from the party room were finally gone. It made him feel like he had accidentally forgotten to do something. He wished he had noticed when they left. 

The outside air washed over Eren, and his sweat started to steam causing Jean to expel a few choice expletives as he pulled him towards the employee parking lot before shoving him into the passenger seat of their car. Jean whipped out his phone and was already giving someone orders to close up for the night by the time he had walked around to the driver’s side. A familiar chill and tingle alerted Eren to his shift as he heard Jean end the call.

“Thank god we just made it.” Jean slid his hand against the back of the passenger seat as he turned around to reverse.

“Jean, take me home,” Eren whined, his eyes flashing bright gold.

“What do you think I’m doing?” The dark sedan eased out of the parking spot and onto the road. Eren didn’t turn to look at his boyfriend. He could feel the waves of anger rolling off of him. _It wasn’t like it was the end of the world. Nobody saw him._

“I’m not going to talk about this until you’ve sobered up, but I’m telling you now, if you try anything, I’m sleeping in the guest room.” Jean cut off the car behind them as he nearly missed the turn. Ten minutes later, they pulled up to their apartment complex. He hurried out of the car to Eren’s side, pulling him tight against himself before guiding them up the staircase. They had almost reached the fourth floor when a loud shriek made them turn around. A small, older woman looked up at the two, fear etched into her face.

“Wh-wha-what is that _thing_ doing here?” Eren tensed at the question having forgotten that he was currently covered head to toe in shimmering emerald scales, not to mention his very obvious gold inhuman eyes. 

“ _He_ lives here, you got a fucking problem with that?” Jean snarled, not slowing their pace as he tugged Eren up the rest of the stairs. Eren knew that Jean was trying to avoid hearing the woman’s retort before he shoved them both into the apartment. The woman’s yell had effectively sobered Eren up. He stood frozen in the doorway. Jean seemed to notice his absence by his side and turned back to look at him. Eren could see the hurt that flashed across Jean’s face before slapping on a neutral expression. He could feel the guilt bleeding out into his system, warming him from the inside only to be replaced with the icy cold feeling that spread to his appendages. Jean was a lot more sensitive to the slurs and attacks against Eren than he was himself after having spent years building up a thicker skin, though that wasn't to say that Eren still wasn't hurt by the words.

“Eren?” Eren closed his eyes and took a deep breath as the cold trickle passed over him. He opened his eyes. Jean hadn’t moved at all.

“Are you okay?” Eren nodded.

“It’s all right. It’s just been awhile.” 

“You need some water?”

“No, I’m all right. I’m gonna take a shower. Maybe I can get most of the glitter off.” Eren tried to make his comment light as he made his way down the hallway to their bedroom. Clothes lay in piles on the floor, and the sheets were crumpled in the middle of the bed. They really needed to clean, but it made him feel content to see their mess. It made it feel more like home.

He went into the en suite bathroom and turned the water on as he stepped into the shower letting the cold water soak into his skin as it began to warm up. Once the hot water began to beat down on him, turning his golden skin scarlet, he began viciously scrubbing at his chest and anywhere else the glitter might have landed. When he was finally satisfied that the majority of the glitter was gone, because it could never be completely gotten rid of, he shut off the water. He toweled himself off, grabbing a shirt and underwear from one of the piles of clothing on the floor that smelled clean. Without a second thought, he crawled into their bed, wrapping his arms around one of the pillows that smelled of Jean before drifting off.

The sunlight broke through the curtains, but it was dim so Eren couldn’t be sure what time it was. He could feel Jean’s arm wrapped around his waist and soft breathing on his ear. Eren closed his eyes again, laying his arm on top of Jean’s and lacing their fingers together. The warmth at his back was comforting. He pulled Jean’s hand up to his mouth placing a kiss in the middle of his palm before letting Jean’s arm slide back to where it had been. Jean’s grip tightened around his waist.

“Morning, asshole.” 

“Asshole, huh? What’d I do to deserve that?” Eren groused, feeling Jean readjust behind him so that his face was closer to his ear.

“You fell asleep without me and then pushed me off the bed. And kicked me a few times in your sleep.” 

“Did not. I don’t kick.” 

“Okay, fine, but you did push me off the bed. I woke up butt ass naked on the floor. Wasn’t very nice.” Jean burrowed his face into Eren’s back.

“Sorry.” 

“S’okay.” They didn’t say anything for a while. When Eren’s stomach growled, they finally separated before heading to the kitchen. 

“You up for some eggs?” Jean asked opening the fridge. Eren made a noncommittal grunt that Jean took as a yes. Their silence was punctuated by the hissing and occasional pop as the eggs fried in the pan.

“Plates.” Jean slid the eggs onto the spatula as he felt Eren move behind him. Eren held the plates out, and Jean smiled at him. They stood in the kitchen, both too hungry and lazy to walk the ten steps to their kitchen table that was covered in paperwork anyways. Eren could feel Jean’s eyes on him as he doused his eggs in hot sauce. Sure enough, when he looked up Jean was cringing.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Eren licked his plate clean of all the leftover yolk that had mixed with the hot sauce. 

“Why must you eat like a heathen?” 

“Why are _you_ judging _me_?” Jean rolled his eyes, taking the plate from Eren. He waited for Jean to speak after he finished washing up.

“Hey, so I know this is a no work zone, but I’m not sure where we put this.” Jean turned around to face Eren who had leaned back against the counter.

“No, I know. It was stupid. Really stupid. And careless. I shouldn’t have done it.” Jean seemed to accept the acknowledgment and didn’t push which Eren was thankful for.

“I’ve got to go in early. I want to see how last night’s close went without me since it was just Ymir. Mikasa sent you a text earlier, so I think she’s coming over.” Eren nodded as Jean bent down to kiss him before going back to their bedroom to get ready. Eren looked out their kitchen window thinking over the details of what happened the night before when he remembered Levi and his friends entering Jean’s office. He needed to remember to ask Jean about him later.


	3. Chapter 3

Mikasa shuffled in stiffly just after Jean left for work. Something about her movements made Eren uneasy as he watched her shut the door behind them, locking both the door and the deadbolt. She hovered in the doorway but didn’t move forward into the apartment proper. Eren took the opportunity while she was distracted to reach behind her and undo the deadbolt. It was odd that she had done it in the first place as neither Jean nor Eren ever used it, which she knew from visiting their place numerous times over the years. 

Eren looked over at his sister as she stood unmoving in the entryway. Mikasa was growing her hair out again. It brushed the tops of her shoulders with some of it tucked into the red scarf that perennially hung around her neck. It had once belonged to Eren’s mother, or so he had been told; he had given it to her after her family took him in when he was younger. Eren was surprised it had lasted so long, but he was fairly certain she took it to get dry cleaned and even mended it herself from time to time. He cleared his throat in an attempt to catch her attention, but it didn’t work.

“You okay?” She didn’t say anything while her eyes flitted around the place as if somebody might jump out from behind the couch.

“Anyone home?” Eren rapped his knuckles on the side of her head. Mikasa’s eyebrows furrowed as her focus finally pulled away from her thoughts, and she swatted his hand away.

“Have you noticed anything weird lately?” Her dark eyes bore into his, and he felt weirdly intimidated by her direct gaze. 

“Uhhhhh, you’re being pretty weird right now?” He had missed the point given her heavy sigh. He had no idea what weird thing she was referring to, but if anyone was going to notice something “weird,” it would have been her. Eren’s observational skills weren’t bad, but they were nothing compared to Mikasa’s almost superhuman abilities. There was also the issue of what she considered weird; he could only guess what she meant.

Eren was more desensitized to strange happenings than Mikasa due to the fact it had been a while since she quit bartending at The 104. It was a fun place, or could be, but there were more than a few regulars that new employees had to learn to adapt to if they weren’t driven away by them. It had been months since Mikasa had worked at The Ten-Four, as it was affectionately referred to by employees and longtime patrons. 

After Mikasa quit, it had taken her no time at all to find a new job, though no one in their circle of friends had any idea as to what it was. Every time Eren, Armin, or even Jean tried to ask her about it, all they got were vague responses or a comment that took them off topic. They eventually learned to not ask about it or the random excuses she would give if her phone went off at odd hours of the day or night signaling her immediate departure. Eren frequently joked with Jean who had come up with the theory that she was an undercover spy though Eren’s money was on her being a superhero. 

Mikasa’s body finally relaxed, her shoulders visibly slumping from her former rigid posture. Eren knew that she had decided that whatever it was that was making her uncomfortable was deemed to no longer be an immediate threat.

“Well, if you haven’t, maybe it’s just me...” she mumbled to herself. Mikasa moved quickly to claim her favorite spot on the couch while Eren grabbed her something to drink.

“Aren’t you cold?” Mikasa tugged at the red scarf around her neck to cover the bottom part of her face. She settled into a corner on the couch, pointedly staring at Eren’s pajamas. He glanced down at his pj’s, if you could call a ratty shirt and boxers that. His body temperature was slightly higher than most, one of the few things he was actually thankful he had inherited. It was likely attributed to _other_ things that had been passed on to him, but he couldn’t be sure because he didn’t know anyone else like himself. Jean, Armin, and Mikasa had always encouraged him to try and find others, but he had no intention of seeking them out. He knew enough about the general opinion of people like him, and really, that was all he needed to know. He didn’t want to hate himself anymore for things that were beyond his control.

“Not really, but if it’s bothering you, I can throw some pants on.” She shook her head, taking the mug he passed her with a quiet thanks, using it to warm her hands. He turned the TV on, not paying any attention to it as she leaned into him.

“You’re warm.” He laughed, forgetting she was propped up against him and upsetting the drink in her hands. 

“Shit, sorry.” Eren carefully got off the couch to prevent Mikasa’s drink from being jostled further and burning her. When he went to grab a kitchen towel, he thought he saw a shadow pass by the window. He raised the blinds with the tip of his finger and looked out to see if he could spot whatever it was that made the shadow, but it was gone. Eren turned around and would have let out a shrill shriek if it hadn’t been for Mikasa’s hand pressing urgently against his mouth, containing the noise. 

“Fuck!” Eren gasped, stepping back out of her grip towards the sink.

“What was it?” She didn’t apologize and instead did the exact same thing that Eren had just done but this time only lifted the blind by a small fraction. Eren waited to see her reaction. He hadn’t really thought too much about it, but now he couldn’t ignore how obviously paranoid she was. Something caught her interest as her eyes narrowed. Eren followed her line of sight but saw nothing.

“Is somebody following you?” Something about the way Mikasa flushed told him that he guessed correctly.

“What? No, why would you think that? It’s not like they’d have a reason to.” 

“You’re lying.” The rambling was a dead giveaway. She had always been the quiet type. The only time that wasn’t true was when she was lying. Then, Mikasa filled in the gaps and couldn’t stop herself. It was one of the first quirks he had picked up on. Her pocket buzzed, and he could see her trying to control the relief from flooding her face.

“Hey Armin! What’s up?” Eren snorted, passing her the towel to dry the remaining tea off her hands and taking it back to clean up what had spilled on the couch. Armin would know something was up by her overly cheerful greeting.

“So you need me to come over right now?” Her acting skills hadn’t gotten any better. It was obvious she was looking for an excuse to leave. He knew that Mikasa could more than handle her own, but if she didn’t want to tell him what was wrong, it was possible that it involved more than just her. Then again, maybe it wasn’t as a big deal as he thought. If something didn’t need to be said yet, she’d wait to tell him. Eren trusted that she would tell him in time. 

“I’m sorry for ditching you so quickly. I know you wanted to catch up, but –”

“That’s okay, I’ve already seen this week’s episode.” Mikasa reached out so quickly he didn’t have time to dodge as she punched him square in the arm.

“What the hell? You’re supposed to wait for me.” Mikasa pouted as she slipped her phone back into her pocket. It was a look that was reserved for a very select few. Eren secretly found it adorable though he would never admit it aloud knowing how much it would embarrass her.

“I was kidding. Sorry. Bad joke. Look, I don’t know why you won’t tell me right now, but promise that you’ll tell me when you can?” Her face blanched but recovered quickly. What was it that scared her so much? She nodded and left before Eren could interrogate her further, not that he had any intentions of doing so, yet. Eren stood in the doorway watching to make sure she made it to her car safely before deciding that another episode or two wouldn’t hurt. 

Eren watched four more episodes before he realized that he should stop. Mikasa wouldn’t be happy if she found out how far ahead he was, and she always found out. There was plenty of time before he needed to start getting ready for work and decided it would be a better use of his time to tidy up some of the areas in the house that desperately needed attention. 

Cleaning the apartment took much longer than expected, and when he was done, Eren plopped down on the bed with a groan. He needed a shower given the sweat he had worked up, but he couldn’t find the energy to move. A nap sounded infinitely better. He found himself curling up on Jean’s side of the bed, soaking in his boyfriend’s scent hoping that he’d come back home soon. 

Hot. Fuck, it was so hot. Heat coursed through him, and his blood was on fire. His skin itched and tingled uncomfortably. He woke with a gasp, letting out a deep breath and what felt like a puff of steam. There was a chance he was imagining it. Maybe he was dreaming still. It was a strange thing to imagine that he could feel a puff of warm air escaping his mouth in a way that felt a lot different than the small cloud made in the cold. 

Eren’s limbs felt leaden. He tried to open his eyes, but everything was blurred. He could make out a fuzzy shape above him. He heard a voice screaming in agony. It took him a moment to recognize it. _Why am I screaming?_ All at once, every inch of him was alive with pain. The split second it took for the pain to register, everything came into sharp focus. Jean was on top of him, shaking him. His face looked pale and clammy, and Eren wondered how bad it was to have scared Jean that much. The pain was excruciating.

“Eren! Eren! Wake up. Babe, you’ve gotta wake up. Eren!” Eren tried to nod his head to show he was listening, but he wasn’t sure if he had moved at all. Just as suddenly as it appeared, the pain was gone. He looked down at his hands. The glimmering, pearlescent green scales blinked in the light as they wrapped around his wrists and down the back of his hands. He frowned. When had he shifted?

“Jean?” He slowly sat up as Jean’s grip eased off. 

“Eren, you – you were screaming. What happened? You sounded like you were in pain. I didn’t know what to do. You were so hot, and you shifted, but it was different.” Jean reached forward as if to touch him but stopped himself. His face fell as he dropped his hand. Eren couldn’t meet Jean’s eyes, unsure of how to calm him down when his own heart was still racing from the pain and fear. He hadn’t ever shifted in his sleep before. Normally, Eren shifted unintentionally when he was angry or drunk, and rarely when he was turned on, but he always knew it was coming. He would have felt a cool ripple down his spine, like a shiver as his scales replaced his skin. The feeling would have been enough to wake him, but he hadn’t felt that. Instead, it felt like he had spent the last half hour bathing in lava. He slipped out from under Jean.

“I’m gonna go take a shower.” He set the water on the coldest setting and stood under it as it poured from the showerhead. It steamed at first as it rained down on him, but slowly, his body cooled. He felt the familiar tingle and sighed in relief as the scales shimmered into his skin again. Eren toweled off briskly, returning to the bedroom where Jean eyed him warily from the bed.

“Eren.” Jean frowned deeply.

“It’s all right. I must have shifted in response to a dream or something.” Eren waved it off, but Jean shook his head.

“Your eyes. Look at them.” 

“What about them?” Eren asked, turning to look at the mirror above his chest of drawers. Eren met his own molten gold stare and felt a wave of heat pass through him. They hadn’t changed back to the teal color they took on when he wasn’t shifted.

“Well, that’s never happened before.” Eren said, leaning closer to the mirror, blinking frequently as if it would force his eyes to switch back to their blue-green color.

Eren turned back to look at Jean who was scrolling through something on his phone, and Eren felt a rush of panic hit him, one that should have been directed towards his current state, but instead focused on the small, seemingly innocuous device in Jean’s hands. He ripped the phone away from him, closing out all the open windows.

“Seriously, Eren?!” Jean took his phone back, shooting Eren a look.

“Look, I don’t want anyone to check your history and see what you’ve looked up.”

“No one is going to look through my history! And even if they did, why can’t I be someone who’s just curious about shifters?” 

“Shh!” Eren hissed. Jean ignored Eren’s attempts to make him lower his voice.

“You’ve got to see someone. I don’t think this is normal. What if you’re really sick?” Eren turned back around to the mirror looking at both of his eyes as the gold gleam lit up his reflection.

“It’s fine. I’ll be fine.” Eren did his best to turn around and give Jean a winning smile, but considering the look on his face, it didn’t look like Jean bought it at all.


	4. Chapter 4

“This is stupid. It’s too transparent.” Levi crossed one leg over the other as he leaned back into the couch, repressing a shudder.

“And this place is fucking filthy,” he grumbled as his two companions chuckled. 

“All we need is a visual. We won’t be here long enough for them to figure it out,” Erwin reassured him, settling into the corner. 

“It’s been a while since we’ve had to scout someone.” Hange caught Erwin’s smirk as Levi scoffed.

“Whatever.” A knock interrupted them. 

“Your party service has arrived,” a tenor voice announced from the crack at the door as it swung open. Levi watched as the two men entered the room, knowing that Erwin and Hange were both looking for signs just like he was. He noticed that they exchanged a look before taking them in, probably sizing them up for how much they’d be earning.

Levi caught the blond’s eyes first. He knew that he was Armin Arlert which meant that his coworker was … Levi’s thoughts stopped altogether as Eren’s viridian gaze locked on him. Then, as if they had rehearsed it, Eren and Armin moved simultaneously towards their positions. Levi was surprised that Armin was the one that went to the middle of the room where the central focus was. His eyes followed Eren into the cage behind the small stage. The lights dimmed and music came on over the speakers. It was noisy, dark, and dirty. Levi wanted to be anywhere else but the disgusting, cramped room. The place wasn’t really all that sleazy, but this sort of thing had never interested him. He wasn’t the type to go to clubs, and Levi only agreed to scout tonight because Erwin insisted that he needed him there and promised that they’d get the best room so he wouldn’t have to deal with other people. 

He felt Eren’s eyes on him but didn’t bother to look up. Levi glanced around the room instead to catalogue any and all details. If this ended up being what they suspected, then he would want to remember everything he’d seen. Just as he was taking in the corners of the room, he felt it. It was a subtle sensation, the closest thing he could compare it to was the change in air pressure when a plane took off but even that wasn’t quite right. 

Levi looked up at Eren. He caught a smirk as the kid ran his fingers down his wonderfully chiseled abs before popping the top of his shorts. He certainly knew how to work what he had. Levi ignored the fact that Eren was trying to catch his attention, but he couldn’t hide the blush that washed over his face and down his neck. It was important that he remain as professional as possible and thinking about all the different ways he’d love to run into Eren outside of work was decidedly **not** professional.

Armin stepped off his stage, swaying his hips as he approached Erwin. Levi watched as Erwin’s focus shifted from casual observation to a singular concentrated stare as the dancer slid onto his lap, not that he blamed him, but they had a job to do.

“I don’t know how you can sit there so composed, Levi,” Hange said as they giggled. It was an obnoxious sound made even more obnoxious by Eren as he trailed Hange’s fingers over his stomach. It was common for dancers to engage their audience, but it made Levi uncomfortable. When had they last showered? Who had touched them last? Had they washed their hands? It took him about ten seconds to realize that he hadn’t noticed when Eren left the cage. So much for being observant. He shot them a glare before his eyes fell on the champagne bottle. It came as a package deal with the private room, but Erwin, Hange, and Levi had no intentions of consuming it. They weren’t supposed to drink on the clock, even if this wasn’t technically a part of their typical shift, but the champagne might be a good distraction to regain Erwin’s focus, if that was even possible at this point. He tugged the bottle out of the bucket working it open as the cork popped off. 

“Allow me.” Eren’s hand gently tugged the foaming bottle away. Levi looked up, enraptured as Eren suggestively licked up the foam from the sides. Fuck, that was hot. Levi accepted the flute Eren handed him, absently sipping on the bubbly liquid, when the music dimmed, and a rough voice echoed in the room asking for Eren. Eren gave him an apologetic smile and took Hange’s fingers allowing them to trace the contours of his muscles one last time. Levi’s eyes dropped to the space between his knees. Damn, this might have all been for nothing. He tried to think of a way to phrase a question about the probability of Eren returning when he felt a finger pull his head up as it ran from his ear down his jaw, tugging his chin up. Levi felt his skin light up where Eren touched his face. Neither of them looked away. Levi caught it then: a flicker of gold in his blue-green eyes when Eren surprised them both by kissing his cheek. _Mine._ The passing, possessive thought was absurd but didn’t make the feeling any less strong. He almost lifted his hand to pull him back, but the rough voice came over the speaker again. As soon as Eren left the room, whatever sensation of built up pressure dissipated. They had found one. 

“Erwin.” Although that was the only word he said, his voice conveyed the deeper meaning of _We’ve found what we were looking for._ Erwin sighed, causing Armin to pause.

“What? Leaving so soon?” The whine almost sounded believable. Levi and Hange exchanged a look. They hadn’t considered the possibility that Armin had an understanding of what was going on. Erwin swallowed and shot him a cordial smile. It was highly effective when dealing with potentially volatile people, though none of them expected Armin to lash out.

“Sorry, we’ve got some business to take care of – what was your name?” Erwin asked politely despite already knowing it. They needed to keep it up for appearance’s sake. The pleasant look slipped off Armin’s face. Apparently, the award-winning smile didn’t work on everyone. Levi felt almost proud of Armin and a little smug that Erwin’s usual trick didn’t work.

“Business? Does it have to do with Eren?” The blond slid back, his golden brows creased together as he got a better look at the three of them. He stood up, walking backwards, keeping his eyes on them the whole time before he reached the door and flung it open. The defensive body language spoke volumes. Armin suspected them of something, but the question was how aware of the situation was he, and who did he think they were?

“I think you’d better go.” His tenor voice dropped low as his words conveyed the not-quite-so-hidden message of _or else_. Levi met Erwin’s eyes. Armin definitely knew something.

“Thank you so much for your time.” Erwin’s voice was distant, polite, lacking any of the warmth it held a minute ago. 

“Have a good evening!” The blond’s icy tone nearly mirrored Erwin’s as he slammed the door behind them.

“So, what do you think? Levi? Erwin?” Hange asked as they walked down the hallway that opened out to the dance floor.

“He’s the real deal. Let’s talk to Jean.” Levi suggested, trying to keep his voice as low as possible as they made their way to the circular staircase. 

At the top of the stairs on the left hand side was the VIP section, if you could call it that. It was roped off with velvet red dividers that didn’t really separate anything but gave the illusion of it, which was all that really mattered. The trio made their way to the offices that were on the top floor just past the VIP lounge, stopping in front of a slightly ajar door. 

“…I was trying to plan my escape,” Eren said. From the crack in the door, Eren and Jean were halfway visible and standing close to each other. Levi turned his head to look at the two behind him and the immediate area around them. No one was paying attention, so Levi gestured for them to stay put and listen in. 

If they were speaking about anything important, the subject had already changed. Levi opened the door carefully. They were lucky that the movement went unnoticed by the two men. Levi felt the same strong possessive feeling he had felt downstairs settle in his chest at the sight of the two in front of him. He placed his hand on his chest and stepped back, nearly bumping into Hange, wondering if he was imagining the warm sensation. Hange gave him a questioning look as they stepped around him and into the room, flanking Erwin who had already decided to enter. Levi followed. He would have time to figure it out later.

Erwin looked away as Hange covered their mouth when Eren and Jean’s lips met. _Mine. Ours._ He cleared his throat which eased the feeling in his chest and drew their attention to him. They were startled by the sound. Jean recovered quickly and gestured to the empty seats which Erwin and Hange accepted. Levi stared at Eren who was attempting to leave the room without being noticed. Levi placed a hand on Eren’s bare chest, stopping the man’s escape. He was warm, but Levi was more interested in the dark brown eyelash that was stuck to his cheek. He carefully removed it and brought it up to Eren’s mouth for him to blow off. The warm breath ruffled his hair, and he felt paralyzed as Eren left in a hurry. _What the fuck was he doing?_ Jean gave him a strange look as he sat down behind his desk. Levi moved to stand behind Erwin and Hange as there were no more chairs. He knew he’d be hearing about that later, but for now, their attention was on Jean.

“So,” Jean started. “I hope you enjoyed the services.” 

“Without a doubt. This place has great potential for future operations and some other things of interest, as well.” Erwin was digging, and they weren’t surprised to see the dark look that flashed across Jean’s face. 

“I was told that this was only for formality’s sake. There wasn’t supposed to be any actual interest in anything more.” Levi answered him.

“It was supposed to be. If there wasn’t anything of value here.” Jean’s face hardened. It was looking like the operation was more organized than expected. It was something that could bring them trouble in the future if they didn’t plan accordingly. 

“You’ll hear from us again soon! Nice talking with you, Jean,” Hange said as they left the office and made their way back downstairs. Technically, they had all they needed, but one last visual of Eren wouldn’t hurt. Levi scanned the room, but Hange spotted him first, giving him an overly excited wave. _Nice. Very subtle._ From across the room, Eren’s eyes met his but didn’t break away. Armin noticed them and walked up to Eren which seemed to cut whatever had passed between them. Levi let out the breath he didn’t know he had been holding. Eren seemed to be brushing off a comment that his friend had made because he left Armin by himself and was immediately accosted by one of the men at the bar. _Get away from him._ He was furious as the man bought him a drink and sidled up to Eren. _What the fuck was his problem?_

They watched as Eren knocked the drink back in one go before stumbling his way to one of the empty cages on the dance floor. Hange clucked their tongue. They knew better than most the effects of alcohol on someone like him. It took Eren the better part of a minute to get it open, his motor skills already impaired, but once he slid inside, the energy in the room shifted. Hange and Erwin shared an anxious look while Levi followed Eren’s every move with his eyes. There was something much more potent about Eren’s abilities than anything they had ever come across before, and Eren seemed completely oblivious to them as he gyrated inside the dark iron bars. Levi felt relieved when he saw Jean rip him out, whispering something in his ear and jolting as Eren nuzzled his neck. 

“Let’s go.” Erwin led them toward the exit. Levi could feel Armin’s eyes on them until they were out of the building. They followed Erwin to his car which was parked perfectly between the lines because everything involving Erwin required absolute perfection apparently. Hange slid into the passenger seat while Levi grumbled incoherently as he climbed into the back. No one spoke until they were on the highway, each of them digesting the events of the evening.

“What did you think, Levi?” Erwin asked. Levi frowned. He had been thinking back to the feeling that still lingered in his chest. He rubbed it unconsciously.

“The charade isn’t going to last long. Armin’s too observant.” Hange pulled out the manila folders they had hidden under the floor mat. They glanced through Armin’s profile briefly.

“We’ll have to keep a close watch on him, and I suspect Jean, as well. We’ll need to update surveillance. When was the last time we spotted Mikasa?” Erwin asked as he took the exit for Levi’s house. 

“She was last seen with Eren and Armin two days ago at the coffee shop near Armin’s apartment. Surveillance noted that she seems to be slipping out of their watch more and more often. She might be aware that she’s being watched.” Hange carefully placed the files in their lap, switching between them to read off whatever Erwin asked for. 

“We’ll need to find some way to get Jean to cooperate, if we’re going to have any success,” Levi added. 

“Oh?” Hange asked, turning back to look at Levi, eyes gleaming. “You know speaking of, you seemed to take a liking to a certain taken pretty boy. He had some really nice pecs. Did you get a good feel?”

“Shut up. I don’t mix work and play unlike Erwin.” Levi could see the red bloom on Erwin’s cheeks from the rearview mirror. 

“Not really sure what you’re talking about.” 

“Uh-huh.” Soon enough, they pulled up to Levi’s small bungalow. His hand was already on the handle before Erwin stopped the car. 

“I’ll call tomorrow morning. We’ll need to arrange another visit, possibly during the day.” Levi nodded and got out. 

“Just let me know,” Levi added before walking up the path to his front door. He waved to Erwin before he stepped inside, slipping off his shoes. He flipped on a few lights throughout the house and checked the locks before heading to his bedroom.

Levi was eager to get out of his clothes and tugged at the tie and blazer, putting them away with his slacks to hang in the closet. They would need to go to the cleaners later. The rest quickly made its way to the hamper before he slipped into the bathroom, ready to wash off the layer of filth he had accumulated in the hours since his last shower. He was just beginning to scrub his body when he thought he heard a loud knock on the front door. 

“Who the fuck?” Levi leaned out of the shower to listen closely but couldn’t make out anything. He grabbed at the phone he had left on the bathroom counter to see if Hange or Erwin had called or texted, but there weren’t any new messages. Levi finished his shower, finally relaxing as he pulled on a pair of sweatpants and an old shirt. He heard the loud knocking again. He knew he hadn’t imagined it that time. Levi crouched down and pressed himself against the wall, making sure to keep himself out of sight of the window in the living room as he approached the front door. Once he got to the door, he stretched up onto his tiptoes to look through the peephole. 

Levi wrenched the door open. On his front porch stood two people he hadn’t expected to interact with anytime soon. Mikasa’s glossy ebony hair was pulled up, and next to her was an even more familiar face. Armin’s bright blue eyes and blond hair shined under the fluorescent light above his doorframe. Neither one looked happy, in fact, both of them looked irate. 

“Let’s cut to the chase,” Mikasa’s alto voice trembled in her anger. “Who the hell are you? Why are you following us, and what _exactly_ do you want with Eren?” She continued pushing herself into his house as Armin followed her in.

“And don’t bother saying that you aren’t interested in Eren,” Armin added. Levi looked back and forth between the two before responding.

“Some nice manners you two ‘ve got.” He stepped back, allowing them to enter the house proper, shutting the door behind them and flipping the lock. He shut both sets of curtains in the living room.

“Take off your shoes and have a seat. I’m gonna make some tea.” Levi walked towards the kitchen flipping on the electric kettle as Mikasa and Armin exchanged a uneasy look before settling onto one of the couches.


	5. Chapter 5

Jean was trying really hard not to freak out, but seeing Eren with shining gold eyes was more than a little disconcerting. Instinctively, he knew something was off. He had spent some time looking into shifters, as much as he could until Eren figured out what he had been doing and freaked out, but he had seen enough to realize that they had bonded. Bonding was the beginning stage that occurred in relationships between potential mates, or at least that was what the website said. According to what he read, they were in the courting phase, and he believed, secretly hoped, that they would be mates soon. The actual mating process wasn’t explained anywhere online, just vaguely mentioned in passing. Jean knew he wasn’t prepared for whatever would happen, but he wasn’t alone. He was pretty sure that no one had explained the particulars to Eren either. Whatever the case, their current bond allowed for them to have an impressive level of empathic abilities. They could feel the other’s emotions best when they were nearby, but if the emotion was strong enough, it could be felt across long distances. 

Whatever it was that gave Jean the ability to sense Eren’s emotions was the same thing that nagged Jean’s mind telling him that he was right to be concerned. Of course something could be off because he was also under the impression that he had been forgetting something important for the last few days. He had probably left something out at work and forgot to put it back. He ought to double check again. 

Eren continued to wave off Jean’s concerns, and even though he didn’t believe him, Jean let himself be convinced. Eren twisted his head back and forth looking at himself in the mirror, as if waiting for his eyes to flick back to their natural cyan color. Vibrations shook one of the nightstands, and Jean reached over to pick up his phone. Armin’s name flashed on the screen.

“I’ve got to take this.” Jean kissed Eren on the cheek and headed out into the living room for some privacy. 

“Kirstein.” He answered formally. 

“Can you meet up right now?” Armin’s voice sounded tight and a little anxious. It made the fear in his gut bubble up. He needed to keep it together. Jean was already having a hard enough time dealing with the legal shock from his lawyer, Nile Dawk, that he had received last week.

“Why?” Jean listened to the empty silence as it buzzed through the phone. 

“Mikasa’s over, and well, honestly this would be much easier to do in person. We’ve got a lot to talk about.” 

“Hmm…I’m not sure that’s going to work.” Jean worked to keep his voice neutral, eyeing the bedroom door. He wasn’t sure if Eren was paying attention to conversation, but he didn’t really feel too confident about leaving Eren alone given his current state.

“Is Eren listening?”

“Possibly.”

“Got it. We’ll need to meet up, but you need to keep Eren home. I mean it, Jean. Don’t let him leave the apartment until after we talk. Head over to my place. Be here within thirty minutes, or I’m blowing up your phone.” Armin hung up without waiting for a response. Jean stared down at his phone while whatever bubble that had settled in his stomach burst, leaving him nauseated, but he trusted that whatever Armin needed to discuss was important.

“Hey babe?”

“What?” Eren sounded distracted. He probably hadn’t heard a word Jean said. So much for being anxious.

“I’m gonna need to run up to work again to take care of some things.” He leaned against the doorframe peeking in at Eren who was still staring at himself in the mirror. 

“Babe?” Jean called out again. Eren finally pulled away from the mirror to look at him.

“Hmm? Oh, you said you were running up to work, right?” Eren asked, looking him over. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll probably just hang around. I should probably go out and pick up some groceries while the buses are still running.” Jean shook his head causing Eren to frown. He walked behind him and wrapped his arms around Eren’s stomach, dropping his chin onto one of Eren’s shoulders. Eren met his eyes in the mirror. They both stood there for a moment while Jean calmed himself, and Eren waited somewhat patiently for Jean to tell him what he was thinking. Jean didn’t miss Eren’s nervous habit of drumming his fingers against a surface, in this case the top of the dresser.

“Please just stay home and rest. I don’t know exactly what is making your eyes like this, but I’m really worried about you. Will you please…just rest?” Jean pressed his face into Eren’s neck. He knew he’d concede. 

“Please, babe? Just relax, maybe? Or play some games? I can pick up anything you need while I’m out.” Eren turned his head to face Jean, a sly look passed over his features. 

“If I do that, I want Indian food. The good stuff. With extra naan.” Jean smiled and kissed the tip of Eren’s nose.

“You got it. I’ll be home soon. It shouldn’t take me too long.” Jean pressed another kiss to Eren’s cheek, and stopped when felt Eren grab at the back of his jacket. He stared into Jean’s face, making the nerves Jean had managed to tamp down come right back up. Eren surprised him by grabbing the back of Jean’s head and pulling their faces together, blowing a raspberry on his cheek.

“What the hell, asshole?” Jean said with a smile, wiping off the extra spit. 

“Don’t forget the extra naan.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” 

Twenty minutes later, Jean pulled up to Armin’s condo. Jean had spent a long time trying to figure out how he could afford to live in such a large space by himself. Eren hadn’t ever asked, and Mikasa was oddly mum about it. It wasn’t until Jean stumbled across a page late one night that he found out. Armin certainly made a very pretty cam boy. He blocked the page and hadn’t searched for anything since. Jean didn’t have to knock before Mikasa pulled the door open and tugged him inside.

“What the hell is going on?” 

“Have you noticed anything odd the past few weeks?” It took Jean a second to process the rush of words and understand that Mikasa answered his question with one of her own. She locked the door behind him, doing the deadbolt and sliding the chain. 

“Isn’t that a bit overkill?” Mikasa glared at him. It seemed she was in a mood.

“Answer the question.”

“Where’s Armin?”

“In here!” Armin’s voice rang from the dining room. He ignored Mikasa and walked into the open area where Armin was. Armin had camped out at the dining table surrounded by piles of papers and two laptops. He was dressed only in a sweater and tiny shorts. Jean would almost have guessed they were girls’ boy shorts if he knew any better.

“Yes, they’re women’s underwear. No, I didn’t have time to throw on pants. No, I’m not going to, and you need to answer Mikasa’s question.” Mikasa made a quiet noise that almost sounded like a victorious “hmph!”

“Uhhh….”

“Listen, Jean. This is serious. We’ve spent the last few hours going over a conversation we had last night with Levi.” Jean shook his head. Levi? As in the dude from the club, Levi? Why would Armin be talking to him?

“Mikasa started noticing not too long ago that she was seeing a lot of these two guys following her around. She didn’t think anything of it at first, but after a few days, she realized it was no accident and starting losing them on purpose and then trailing them to see where they would lead her, but they always managed to shake her off.” Mikasa nodded along with Armin’s statement before she joined in.

“It took me a while before I was finally able to track where they’d been coming from. It’s why I’ve been MIA lately. You’re not going to like it.” It didn't sound like she liked it all that much either. Her voice had gotten harder, and she tightened her grip on the back of one of Armin’s dining chairs.

“Last night, after you called Eren out of the private room, the whole atmosphere changed. They started to get ready to leave, which made no sense considering they had another 45 minutes, easy, and well –” Armin blushed even though Jean already knew that he had been nestled on top of Erwin’s lap. 

“The point is, they shouldn’t have left so quickly, unless they had a reason, and as soon as I pointed it out: ice cold. They were completely different. They were there for Eren, and I didn’t know what exactly for, so I called Mikasa after they left the room. That’s when she told me about the guys who had been tailing her. I waited until they left, and then Mikasa picked me up, and we followed them until we saw Levi get out of the car.” 

“Wait – ” Jean interrupted Armin. “Just cut to the chase. Who the hell are these guys working for, and I mean really, cos now I feel like I should be worried about their offer.” Armin looked confused.

“Offer? What offer?” 

“Erwin, Levi, and Hange put in a bid on the club last night, not formally, but they did.” Armin and Mikasa sat in stunned silence.

“Since when has the club been for sale?” Armin leaned back, glaring at Jean.

“Apparently, I’ve never owned it.” Both Armin and Mikasa’s jaws fell open.

“I just found out last week. I’ve been doing everything I can to figure out what the hell is going on. Dawk and I have been going over the paperwork and contracts. It turns out that they only made me a manager, not the actual owner. There’s a clause that states after an indeterminate length of time I could be instated at the owner, but I mean, I have no fucking clue how long that is. I don’t even know who the original owner is. The whole thing was sketchy as hell to begin with. I only met with their lawyer. Now, I’m really wishing I hadn’t been so eager.” 

“So then, last night?” 

“So the three of them came to scope out the club to see if they were interested in buying it, and apparently, they are. Although, I’m guessing that must have more to do with Eren than the actual club? So who the hell are these people? What _exactly_ do they want with Eren?” Jean snapped. Armin hummed but didn’t give an immediate response.

“How many did you say you saw this morning at the apartment?” Armin didn’t address the question to anyone in particular.

“There were the two that followed me there. Eren saw another one go by the window, but he didn’t know who or what it was. I saw them go back to a parked car, so I think there was probably another one waiting there.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on. Eren saw what? Are they at my house?!” Jean interjected, but Armin ignored him and continued his train of thought out loud.

“So, it’s safe to assume that they have two following you, two following him. I’d guess they probably have two with Jean, as well. I wonder if they’re watching me.” Armin looked up at the pair of them.

“Let’s keep this short. I don’t know how closely we’re being watched.” 

“What the hell is going on?” Jean spat. He stepped back, arms crossed over his chest, glaring at Mikasa and Armin.

“What you do you know about shifters?” Armin’s eyes gleamed. There was a calculating look on his face that sent invisible shivers down Jean’s spine.

“What does this have to do with Eren? With everything going on?” Jean lowered his voice leaning towards them.

“Do you remember anything about them? About their history?” Jean didn’t understand why Armin was asking him about shifter history. It was one of those things that kids learned about in grade school. They knew it was an awful stain on their country’s past, and the older you got the more you learned about just how horrific the treatment was towards shifters. Even the word itself was almost a slur. It was said in polite company by the politically correct, but all it took was the wrong person to hiss out the word for Jean to realize how the term had been tainted. 

“Like what specifically?” Jean couldn’t figure out what Armin’s point was but figured he was going somewhere with it. 

“The origins or just anything really?” 

“Umm? I remember that we pretty much killed off all of them because of stupid prejudicial bullshit and that they still get treated like shit.” 

“He doesn’t talk much about it, does he?” The three of them fell silent. There wasn’t really a need for Armin’s question. They all knew Eren didn’t talk about it, and unless there was a reason it couldn’t be avoided, he didn’t acknowledge that aspect of himself at all. He wouldn’t even go to the doctor’s or a hospital, something that had aggravated the three on the rare occasion Eren had hurt himself. He only conceded once when he broke a bone, and it hadn’t healed at his normal accelerated rate. Eren had complained about being there the entire time, especially after they took a blood sample. 

“No thanks to Grisha,” Mikasa grumbled. Jean had met Eren in high school, so he didn’t know all the details unlike Mikasa whose family had taken him in. Armin had been one of Mikasa’s only friends growing up, so he met Eren a few times before they all entered high school together. Mikasa was the only one who knew anything about Eren’s father, the only living parent he had until he was a teenager. Neither one spoke of what happened during Eren’s childhood, but Jean suspected there was a lot Eren kept hidden. When Jean thought about it, it worried him a little, but he always trusted that Eren would talk to him about anything that he needed to. If Eren wasn’t ready to bring it up, he wasn’t going to push the issue. Armin cleared his throat, breaking the tense silence.

“Yeah. So, you know that shifters are supposed to be descended from actual dragons, right? Most people think it’s just a myth, but supposedly, the first shifters were dragons who used magic in order to shift into a humanoid form. Of course, scientifically there isn’t a lot of evidence of magic use, obviously, but there’re suggestions that shifters had some kind of non-human ancestor in the somewhat recent past, biologically speaking anyways. Regardless, they were somehow able to shift from that form into something more humanoid, but they slowly lost the ability to shift back over time. That’s why most people just call them shifters today. They aren’t really “dragon” shifters. It’s more of a shapeshifting into some kind of serpentine, dragonesque form.” 

“Okay. So, what’s that got to do with anything?” 

“I’m getting to that,” Armin cut him off. “So, basically because the government treats them like shit, there aren’t that many reservations left. Most of ‘em live on the reservations cos of how hostile people still are to them. There aren’t a lot of mixed relationships, and genetically speaking it’s incredibly unlikely that the kid will be a shifter, too. ”

“What’s that got to do with Eren though? Weren’t both his parents shifters?” Jean felt a twinge of guilt that he had never asked, but he couldn’t help that Eren didn’t like talking about it. He remembered Eren mentioning something about living on a reservation when he was a kid, but it was when they first met so he couldn’t be sure though. 

“I think that’s part of the reason that Levi and the others are interested in Eren.”

“What do you mean? What do they want from him?” Jean asked exasperated. He was getting tired of Armin dancing around the subject. Armin looked over at Mikasa whose hands had clamped onto the back of the chair again.

“That’s where things aren’t so clear.” She met Jean’s gaze. “We know that they went to the club last night to verify if he was a shifter, and something happened that made them certain he is.” Jean heaved a sigh. He tried to remember everything from the night before to see if there had been any signs of him shifting. There was the moment when Eren gotten drunk and danced in the cage. He wasn’t sure if they had left the building after they finished in his office. Then again, they had mentioned they had found something of value; had they been referring to Eren? If that was true, then they had already seen something that prompted them to look more into Eren. Jean felt a chill go down his spine. Mikasa continued.

“Levi wouldn’t tell us exactly what was going on. He said that they just needed to talk to Eren to explain some things. I don’t know though. It doesn’t sit right with me. I don’t trust the Survey Corps, or the government at all when it comes to shifters.” She crossed her arms and scowled. 

The three of them mulled over Mikasa’s words. Armin had a strange look on his face before he turned to Jean. He opened his mouth to say something when Jean’s phone began to vibrate in his pocket. Jean pulled it out, feeling his hands shake. The call was blocked. He flashed the screen to them so they could see and answered it, putting it on speaker. Neither Armin nor Mikasa made a sound as they leaned in to listen.

“Kirstein?”

“Hello, Mr. Kirstein, this is Mr. Smith, Erwin? We spoke yesterday.” Jean blanched. Armin pulled up something on his computer and waved at Jean to keep talking.

“Yes, I remember. What can I do for you, sir?” He worked to keep his voice even and polite.

“My colleagues and I were wondering if we’d be able to meet you to discuss some things. When might be a good time for you?” If Erwin noticed Jean’s nervousness, he didn’t comment on it. Jean looked up at Armin for a suggestion, but Armin was busy typing something out. Mikasa had stepped back and walked over to the windows, drawing the curtains and double checking the locks.

“The weekend isn’t very good, business is very err… busy. Would you be able to meet Monday afternoon? Say two o’clock or so?” 

“Sounds perfect. Oh! If it isn’t too much trouble, would you mind having a few employees with you? We’d like to discuss employee conditions and figure out their exact responsibilities. Why don’t you have the two dancers join us? I think it was Eren and Armin? That would be a great help. We’ll see you on Monday at two.” Jean didn’t get a chance to tell him that there was no way in hell that he would be bringing Eren, but Erwin had already hung up. Armin stared at his phone like it had personally offended him.

“Well, looks like we won’t have to wait too long to make our next move,” Mikasa said as she walked back over to the dining table. 

“I’ll come in to watch out for Eren,” she offered, except it was less an offer and more a demand. Jean looked over at Armin. His brows furrowed in concentration as he looked at his computer screen again. He seemed to be puzzled about something.

“What do you think?” Jean asked after Armin had been silent for a few minutes. Armin deliberated as the other two not-so-patiently waited for his response.

“We’ll meet them Monday. Mikasa, you need to get there early and meet up with Marco. They’ll be expecting you, and the best place for you to be is next to Eren, just in case anything does happen. I don’t think they’ll try anything; it’s too obvious. I feel like they’re going to be testing us out, but we’ll need to be prepared. They’re just giving us the opportunity instead of having us follow them around trying to figure everything out.” Mikasa nodded in agreement. Jean wasn’t convinced.

“Are you sure that it’ll go that smoothly? We don’t even know what they want with Eren.”

“I’m gonna dig around a little bit and find out more. I’ve got an idea about what it is they might be doing, but I want to be completely sure.” Jean felt his conviction waver at Armin’s determined stare. He knew that Armin knew what he was doing ninety-nine percent of the time, but part of him still felt a little insecure about trusting him with this. Mikasa placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. She could sympathize with his feelings the most as he knew her protective streak over Eren ran deep. He gave in with a small sigh. Jean trusted the both of them, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was different. 

“All right, I should probably head out. I need to pick up some things for Eren before I go home anyways.” Jean looked over his shoulder on his way back out towards the car but saw nothing that made him think that he was being followed. Maybe this would be the first thing Armin was wrong about. Everyone had to be wrong sometimes. 

After picking up a few things for Eren (mattar paneer with rice and extra naan), the drive home felt excruciatingly long. He didn’t feel better until the lock turned in the door, and he let himself into the apartment. Jean tiptoed carefully into the kitchen depositing the food in the fridge. If Eren hadn’t come out when he first came home, then chances were he was asleep. The thought made Jean feel at ease. 

Something between an itch and a tingling sensation grew stronger as he made his way back to their bedroom. He froze at the sight on his bed. Jean had clearly walked into a horror movie with the way that Eren’s body was twisted and contorted into a shape that should have been impossible to form. Then, he saw the copious amounts of steam that billowed out of Eren’s mouth. His scales glinted and drew Jean’s attention away from his face for just a moment. Eren’s neck creaked as he turned his head to better see Jean. Golden eyes with feline pupils bore straight into him. Eren snapped his jaw, clicking the sharp teeth together with a growl before jumping from the bed and lunging straight for Jean.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rating is E for a reason, and here is your reason. Smut related warnings: biting, fingering, anal sex, marking, bottom Jean.

Eren’s teeth found Jean’s throat as he let out a strangled cry. He was everywhere, growling, biting, kissing any place he could reach with his scalding mouth. Jean’s feeble protest dried in his throat as Eren’s mouth hovered over one of Jean’s pulse points before he bit deeply into the flesh there. The bite left Jean paralyzed in Eren’s arms. He didn’t know when the fear had left him, but Jean wasn’t scared anymore. His heart hammered in his chest, and the only thoughts he had were “ _yes_ ” and “ _finally_ ” though the more he thought about it, the less those thoughts made sense.

Jean heard rather than felt Eren shredding his clothing. The pieces fell scattered to the floor. He barely had time to mourn their loss when Eren started to bite him again. This time the bites weren’t concentrated on just his neck. Eren made sure to mark up every single inch of skin he could reach on Jean’s chest, shoulders, and collarbones. Eren growled possessively as he moved lower. The noise made Jean shiver. He felt nervous, almost like he was anticipating something more than the obvious lead up of what was clearly going to be some amazing sex. 

The bite marks Eren left all over Jean’s torso weren’t bruising, and even though he was breaking the skin, Jean wasn’t bleeding at all. It was bizarre, and on closer inspection, Jean noticed that each mark consisted of a bright red welt and a small indention in the center where Eren’s teeth had punctured his skin. The welts looked more like large mosquito bites than the typical love bites Jean was used to, but despite their peculiarity, they didn’t worry him. 

A thick wave of heat crashed through Jean making him momentarily dizzy and thankful for Eren’s arms holding him upright. The heat moved concentrating in each and every single bite mark, lighting him up from the inside. It was weirdly pleasant: the feeling of warmth that would normally have left him uncomfortable made him at ease though the sweating probably wasn’t that attractive. Luckily for Jean, Eren didn’t seem to care. 

With another growl, Jean felt himself being lifted and pulled into Eren’s chest. More carefully than anything Eren had ever done, he placed Jean in the center of their bed. There was something in Eren’s golden eyes that made him feel safe and comforted. _Everything was as it should be._ Jean hadn’t realized he whimpered until he heard a low rumbling pour from Eren’s mouth. Jean had never heard it before, but it was instantly his favorite sound. He couldn’t help smiling at how reverently Eren looked at him. There was a flicker in his eyes, and for a moment, Jean thought he would shift back, but instead, the scales grew more vibrant. They were mesmerizing and reminded Jean just how beautiful Eren was. 

Eren sat back on his knees, lifting Jean’s legs to his mouth to mark up the pale, blank canvas there with bright red bites. His sweat-soaked hair slid easily through Jean’s fingers as he scratched Eren’s scalp, tugging not-too-gently when his mouth slid higher up Jean’s thighs. He bit into the firm flesh giving Jean matching bites on both legs which he had prepped with kisses and slow licks. Jean whined, desperate for more, dragging Eren’s face to his as Eren pulled himself up. They both moaned at the friction from Eren unintentionally grinding down against Jean. They exchanged a few soft warm open-mouthed kisses; they were accompanied by them grinding against each other, legs and sheets entangled. 

Eren pushed Jean further by pulling his lip into his mouth, dragging his teeth into it before letting go. Jean’s body buzzed with excitement. Eren gave him another kiss before turning his attention back to Jean’s marked up body, ignoring the flushed cock dripping pearly beads onto his stomach. He licked over the first mark he had bitten on Jean’s neck, and instantly the flame inside disappeared. It was followed quickly by a newer, more intense heat. 

Jean shook as Eren’s tongue traced the marks down his neck, over his chest, moving slowly down his stomach. The soft drag of his tongue across Jean’s heated skin was driving him half-mad. He tried to think through the haze, but it was no use. Eren was everywhere. Jean wanted for him to take away the last lingering rational thought he had and to make him feel full, complete. _But we’re not complete, not yet._ Jean had no idea where the thought came from or why he saw a flash of color that looked familiar. He only knew that the both of them needed that momentary vision for everything to be perfect. _But we can we wait._

Only after Eren had licked every single bite did the heat finally settle. It moved to sit low just above his groin. Jean was eager, and he let Eren move him higher up on the bed and shove two fingers into his mouth. Jean lathed his tongue all over them, sucking on the pads of Eren’s fingers, feeling the strange texture from his not quite human skin. Eren spread his legs and pressed the two spit-slick fingers into Jean’s hole carefully up the first knuckle. Jean must have soaked them well because he heard the squelch of fluid as Eren sunk the fingers deeper into him. Jean impatiently rocked down and felt Eren curl his fingers searching for the one thing that would turn him into a writhing mess. The burning heat that flooded Jean’s blood stream beat regularly with his rapid pulse. It didn’t take Eren long to find what he was looking for, and Jean let out a pleased moan when Eren massaged it. He gasped when Eren worked another finger in, going even more slowly and carefully opening him up as he scissored his fingers wide to prep him. Jean wasn’t a patient person, and the last of it had run out. He’d take the slight burn from Eren’s dick over this torment. 

“Please,” he begged. “I need you. Now.” Eren stared as if awestruck before obediently withdrawing his fingers, leaving Jean aching from the emptiness. Feeling Eren line himself up was like dropping the match over a trail of gasoline. It blew the fire that had situated itself in his lower belly throughout his body. Every single inch of him could have been on fire for all he knew. It was also the most intense pleasure he had ever experienced, and it was an act of god that he didn’t immediately come when Eren finally sank into him with a drawn out exhale. Jean barely noticed that Eren was whispering in his ear. He couldn’t really make the words out, but it sounded possessive and made him shiver. 

Jean let out a groan when Eren bottomed out inside of him. He didn’t move, allowing Jean to get accustomed to his size. Eren took the time to sweetly kiss Jean’s cheeks as they waited. Once Jean had adjusted, Eren experimentally rolled his hips, drawing out a soft moan from him. Eren kissed his throat, sucking the spot where Jean’s neck met his shoulder. He knew he’d have a mark there later and that every time he saw it, he’d burn with the thought of knowing he’d gotten it. 

Jean’s trembling fingers grasped the sides of Eren’s face. The softer scales along Eren’s hairline and jaw felt almost silky under his fingers, and Eren’s golden eyes gleamed at him. Jean almost felt like something was lifting inside him, tangling itself with Eren. It was like a call, an echo of a declaration that bonded them. Jean wanted to give him everything, and he knew Eren felt the same. 

His hands slipped as Eren gave him a hard thrust, still just as slow, but he felt like he was seeing stars as Eren expertly targeted his prostate. Jean wrapped his arms around Eren, fingers digging into his shoulders as he tried desperately to hold on. Eren thrust into him relentlessly, the pace all but emptying Jean’s brain of thought. Eren moved his hands to grab Jean’s legs and set them on his shoulders, snapping his hips in a new brutal pace. It had Jean howling in pleasure, his nails clawing the scales of Eren’s back but doing no damage to him. The pressure only urged Eren on until Jean was completely mindless beneath him. Jean couldn’t even manage to move his hips to synch up with Eren, and just as he felt himself slipping closer to the edge, Eren growled out something.

“Hmm?”

“Look at me.” The command came out in a rough, gravelly voice and had Jean shaking.

“Just like that. Only look at me.” _At us._ Jean’s brain corrected automatically. He had no idea how Eren was able to string words together because he sure as hell couldn’t. Jean reached for Eren’s hand and pulled it towards his neglected cock weeping precome in a smeary mess on his stomach. Two tugs was all it took to have Jean falling over the edge, shaking all over as spurts of come splattered his pale stomach and Eren’s hand. Eren worked him through his orgasm, slowing down as he brought his hand to mouth, licking off his come. Jean stared entranced by the way that Eren’s eyes seemed to actually glow for a single moment before he thrust into Jean a few more times. He pulled out just before he came on Jean’s already messy stomach. Eren had always been fairly, if not oddly, silent during sex, but as he came, a few garbled words fell out of his mouth. Jean missed most of them though he was pretty sure he had heard his name in the mix.

Once finished, Eren collapsed over to the side which Jean was thankful for. He felt Eren shiver and knew that he was shifting back. Eren was pleasantly warm as he curled into Jean. It was then that he realized that the intense heat he had felt was gone though he was sweaty and desperate for a shower. Eren grabbed a piece of Jean’s ripped clothing from the floor and wiped off his stomach with a grimace. Jean blinked up at him, and he couldn’t but smile at the state of Eren. 

“Your eyes,” he mumbled into Eren’s neck as he pulled Jean into his chest. 

“ ‘re blue again.” He could barely keep his eyes open. Eren hummed contentedly in response. 

“Love you.” Jean ignored the slight itch on his thighs as he fell asleep on Eren’s chest. 

The second he heard the buzzing Jean woke up, ripping the covers off the bed. A stream of curses sputtered out of his mouth as he scrambled to get dressed, ignoring his phone as it continued to vibrate on the nightstand. 

“Wha’s goin on?” Eren slurred, rubbing his eyes as he sat up. His hair looked like he had been through a wind tunnel. 

“I’m late for work. Listen,” he pulled on a pair of slacks and nearly toppled over when a foot got stuck in the pant leg. He looked over his shoulder at Eren. “Don’t come in tonight, I’m gonna have someone come in for you. But don’t go anywhere. Just stay home. Don’t leave the apartment. I meant to tell you when I got back but –” Jean flushed down to his chest as he rifled through his drawers for an undershirt. Eren didn’t seem to understand him. 

“Sure thing, let me just grab my shorts.” He tugged off the sheets, frowning down at his nakedness. Jean spun around and grabbed hold of Eren’s face, finally getting his attention as Eren seemed to waken at the touch.

“Hey, you awake? You need to stay here, okay? You can’t go to work tonight. I promise when I get home I’ll explain everything, but you can’t leave. For any reason at all. You got that?” Eren nodded sleepily at Jean’s bizarre request. He sat on the edge of the bed while Jean finished getting ready, still ignoring his phone until it vibrated right off the dresser. Eren picked it up and passed it to him with a yawn. Jean tried not to eyeball his boyfriend as he stood up with a stretch, drawing Jean’s attention to his chest and stomach and fuck, he was still very naked. Eren didn’t seem to notice Jean’s lecherous stare as he picked up a pair of sweats, slipping them on as he followed Jean to the front door.

“I love you. See you later. Lock the door behind me.” Jean gave him a kiss, feeling a shudder pass through Eren and was out the front door. Just as Jean was getting to the car, another one happened to drive by. He glanced up but didn’t get a clear view of the driver. A prickle on the back Jean’s neck made the hairs stand up, and he looked back over in the direction where the car had parked. The phone in his pocket started to buzz again, and he decided he had to get to work. Eren would be all right. He’d laze around the apartment and certainly wouldn’t do anything risky, especially when Jean had been so serious.

Just when he pulled into work, his phone started to go off again. He ripped it out of his pocket, annoyed with the continuous calls, until he saw Eren’s name on the screen. The call ended just before he could answer it. He felt the same nervous feeling he had felt in the parking lot at his apartments. Jean swiped the screen to call Eren back, feeling more and more anxious with every ring.

“Hey, sorry! It’s nothing. I’ll call you back later,” Eren soothed. He probably could feel how worried Jean was. A sinking feeling hit him all at once, and he knew that something was happening, but his phone rang again, and this time it was Ymir. With a heavy sigh, Jean got out of his car, making his way towards the club and hoping in the back of his mind that it was nothing. Eren would be fine. He would take care of himself, and he’d listen to Jean. The thought didn’t feel any more convincing the second time.


	7. Chapter 7

He could hear them whispering in the other room just as the water came to a boil. The glass teapot was already waiting with the dried out leaves heaped in the center of the strainer basket. Levi waited for the water to cool just enough before pouring it. Regardless of who was visiting, he wasn't going to ruin perfectly good tea by using boiling hot water. The leaves curled and danced before expanding and releasing their fragrant steam. He covered the pot and set the timer, taking three empty cups and the full teapot to his living room. Armin and Mikasa stopped talking as soon as the cups were placed on the coffee table, coasters set neatly under each one and for the teapot as well. Cautious looks were fixed on the pot when the timer went off in the kitchen. Levi quietly poured the tea before hurrying to shut the timer off. When he returned, neither one had touched their drink. He wondered what they thought they had been offered. He sat down in the empty chair and took a small sip from his cup. It was remarkable what a well-made cup of tea could do to relax him. Armin shifted awkwardly on the couch, warily eying his cup as Mikasa fixed Levi with what was probably meant to be an intimidating glare, but Levi just took another sip. 

“So, are you gonna answer our questions or what?” Mikasa was direct, but the slight snap in her voice betrayed her concern for Eren. Erwin had clearly been a touch careless if they had been able to follow him. Unless he knew already.

“Levi Ackerman. Now, let me ask you a question. How did you find my place?” They exchanged glances, but Armin responded first. 

“We followed the car from the club.” Levi nodded. He hadn't expected him to be so honest, though there were very few ways for him to have found out otherwise. He softly set the cup on his empty coaster before walking back towards his bedroom. He ignored the “what the hell?!” directed at his retreating back before he returned to the living room, badge in hand. 

“Again, my name is Levi Ackerman, member of the Survey Corps.” He watched the range of emotions that played out over their faces as he flipped open his badge. They were familiar. Most people tended to show a mix of shock, confusion, anger, caution, and sometimes a sort of enchanted or excited interest. Mikasa and Armin were no exception as Mikasa scowled and Armin’s eyes widened momentarily before hiding behind the cup that he had picked up in Levi’s absence. He continued. Now that he had revealed who he was and who they were, it might be more beneficial to be open now. It was a gamble, but it was one he was willing to take. 

“We’ve got you two and Jean under surveillance in connection with a current investigation involving Eren.” Mikasa let out an angry hiss.

“I don’t know what you think you’re going to do to him, but you aren’t going to lay a single finger on him.” She stood up, her whole body shaking. “We won’t let you, and you can bet Jean isn’t going to let you get near him either!” Armin grabbed Mikasa’s forearm and pulled her back down to the couch. It was impressive that Armin was able to exert that much force as he looked far too frail in comparison. In street clothes, he looked like one gust of wind would be all it would take to blow him over. 

“Wait, Mikasa.” Levi could feel Armin’s penetrating gaze; it was oddly familiar. Even the tone in his command had Levi thinking of a fellow blond-haired, blue-eyed man.

“What exactly are your plans involving him?” Levi reached again for his mug, taking a deliberate drink from his tea. 

“Currently, I’m not at liberty to discuss it with you, but I can tell you that Hange, Erwin, and myself aren’t going to do anything to Eren. Those were the other two with me tonight.” 

“And why should we believe you?” Levi waffled for a moment about how best to respond. 

“If we were going to do something to hurt Eren, we would have already taken him from you. We wouldn’t be continuing to watch you.” Mikasa clenched her jaw and fists simultaneously. It had been a touch too blunt, but the honesty would appeal to Armin’s reason, and as he was the more rational of the two, Levi decided to cater to him. 

“Unless you were waiting for something?” Armin suggested. There was a slight waver to his voice, but it was mostly steady and barely betrayed his lack of confidence. Levi found himself wondering again how much Armin already knew. He didn’t say anything and watched as Armin read his face. It was damn near impossible for most, but with what he suspected Armin was capable of, it was possible he could glean something. Mikasa’s anger finally died down, her fist flushing for a moment as the blood returned quickly. She flicked her eyes over to Armin’s face reading it much more easily than Levi as they both sprung up.

“Thank you for the tea.” Armin gently placed his cup on the table while Mikasa’s sat cold. Without another word, both left. Levi listened to their steps descend the front stairs before crossing the room to bolt the front door. He waited to hear their car drive off before he pulled out his cell phone. 

“Erwin. Loop back by my place,” was all he said before hanging up. He cleared the cups and washed up. Just as he was finishing up, he heard two heavy knocks, followed by three short ones. Levi looked through the peephole before opening the door for Erwin. He frowned down at the overnight bag in his hand.

“Look, it’s late. I’ll get more sleep if I stay instead of driving back across town to my flat.” Erwin squeezed by Levi, slipping his shoes off and setting the bag down in the hallway. Levi leaned to look out the front door for their other coworker and friend.

“I’ve already dropped Hange off.” Levi shut the front door, doing the lock and the dead bolt. Erwin was already inside, peeking over at the cups and teapot in the drying rack before turning his attention to the empty coasters on the coffee table. He raised his bushy eyebrows at Levi who breezed past him and plopped down on the sofa. Erwin sank into the chair Levi had previously occupied with a sigh. He knew better than anyone that Levi didn’t waste time or water by using more than one cup ever, so if any cups were drying, it was because someone else had used them. Erwin seemed to be waiting for confirmation of this fact as he said nothing, head tilted back on the cushion, the light highlighting his perpetual dark circles.

“We need to fire whoever was following Armin and Mikasa.” Erwin stilled.

“Oh?”

“They followed your car here.” Erwin didn’t move.

“How long ago did they leave?” 

“Just before I called you.” Erwin didn't say anything for another beat and then pulled out his cell phone. Levi counted one ring before the call was answered. 

“I need your report on Mikasa Ackerman’s movements this evening.” Erwin didn’t sound too concerned. Levi hadn’t seen the schedule for tonight so he didn’t have any way of knowing who was on the other line. He suspected his previous assumption that Erwin was aware he was being followed was correct though the idea irked him. Erwin could have lured anyone to Levi’s bungalow, but maybe that had been the point. Levi would be the best person to deal with that if necessary.

“Then who followed her this evening?” Erwin’s tone rose, interest piqued. It wasn’t often that someone failed to report a change, especially one as important as this.

“And why did no one bother to inform me?” He sounded bored, his voice a slow drawl, but Levi was sure that whoever was on the other end of the phone was definitely quaking in their boots.

“Send me the contact information.” He hung up. It was too late for drawn out pleasantries. 

“There was a roster change,” Erwin stated the obvious, ignoring the ding on his phone with what was presumably the contact info he had asked for. 

“Gunther and Eld were removed from Mikasa, and Oruo and Petra were asked to assist Gunther and Eld on a last minute bust as Pixis’ request. New recruits were put on surveillance, and they lost them almost immediately.” Erwin turned his attention back down to his phone, looking at the text message before dialing another number.

“This is Erwin Smith. You and your companions have 15 minutes to locate your target, or you will be seeing me in my office tomorrow morning.” He hung up on the frantic apologies uttered before the call ended. They would probably be terrified, but Erwin was all bark and no bite. He would only chew them out. It wouldn’t mean actual punishment for the poor rookies.

“You seem pretty blasé for someone who’s allowed a situation to become compromised.”

“Do I?”

“Aren’t you going to ask what they wanted to know?”

“They wanted to know about Eren, right? And what our plans are for him?” Levi sighed. As usual, Erwin was one step ahead, but it was a bit dizzying and slightly frustrating that he had been left out of the loop. Still, Erwin never kept him completely in the dark for long. He’d unload his thoughts soon enough so that Levi would have an understanding what his endgame would probably be. He decided to fill him in anyways.

“Yes, they asked what we were planning on doing with Eren. Armin seems to be figuring things out quickly, and he seemed to know more than he was letting on, but it could just be a front.” Levi noticed the excited glimmer in Erwin’s eye. Erwin always did enjoy a good game. 

“What did you tell them?”

“That we weren’t going to harm him.” 

“Did they believe you?”

“I don’t think so,” Levi paused, “I’m going to bed. We’ll need to talk to Pixis tomorrow.” He left Erwin, eyes closed but wide-awake as he thought through the puzzle in front of him to try and decide what move to make next. It was a perfect game of chess but with many opponents instead of just one. Levi shut the bedroom door behind him as he heard Erwin’s phone go off again. He changed quickly and slid into the cold sheets, curling up on his side. As he drifted off to sleep, he had the nagging feeling that he had forgotten something important.

Levi woke up feeling refreshed and immediately knew something was wrong. He felt his stomach drop as he reached for his phone on the nightstand, but it was nowhere to be found. He muttered a few curses as he threw back the warm sheets and stomped down the hall. Levi opened his mouth to wake up Erwin, but he was surprised to see an empty couch. Erwin hadn’t left a note which meant he had probably called or sent a text message. He searched for his phone in the living room and kitchen without any luck. He returned to his room and found it dead on the dresser. He must have been too tired to remember to plug it in. Levi connected the phone to the charger and waited for the phone to reboot to see if he had any missed calls or messages. Once it turned on, four popped up.

**Erwin Smith Today 7:40 AM**  
_Don’t worry about being late. Text when you get up._

**8:08 AM**  
_Actually, call me when you wake up._

**9:49 AM**  
_Are you up yet?_

**Hange Zoe Today 10:03 AM**  
_mornin sunshine!!!! wakey wakey! we’ve got stuff to talk about._

Levi opted not to respond to the messages immediately, if it had been important they would have left a voicemail. Instead, he would respond after he put some caffeine into his system. He refilled and switched the kettle on before going back to his room to make his bed when he heard Erwin’s knock at the front door. There hadn’t been a message from Erwin saying he was coming over, but he was likely concerned by the lack of response from Levi. He was a light sleeper after all. Even still, it wasn’t like Erwin to come over unannounced so Levi checked quickly before opening the door for Erwin and Hange. He glared at Hange’s feet until they remembered to take off their shoes before he staggered off to the kitchen to finish making his tea. Maybe it was because he had slept so much, but he felt oddly woozy. He could hear Hange muttering something to Erwin who responded, but Levi couldn’t make out what was being said. He settled into his favorite chair and waited to be clued in.

“So, what’s happened?” Hange’s face looked strained from the smile they were trying to contain.

“Last night when we sent off the visual confirmation on Eren, I got the go ahead to request his medical records which I’ve been going over this morning, and oh man – there is something about this kid. We need to bring him in for testing. There are some things that seem off or missing. I need to get some more blood work because if this is accurate then he’s an unprecedented case –”

“Cut to the chase, please,” he groused. It was too early for one of Hange’s long-winded spiels. 

“Okay, okay, so basically there are genetic markers that we can use to determine whether or not Eren is biologically a dragon shifter, as well as hormone levels in the blood which are there for his shifts.” They took a deep breath. Levi braced himself for their loud voice he expected would follow. 

“There are no abnormal records from his childhood, but the latest and only record we have shows Eren’s hormones are off the charts.” Levi blinked at the anticlimactic sentence. Hange apparently hadn’t hit the climax yet as they were still fairly quiet, for them anyways.

“I’m not following,” he said after a lengthy pause. Hange guffawed as if the answer should be obvious. Erwin didn’t seem to share his confusion so he had either already heard this before or had figured out what it meant himself when the files were delivered. Hange gave an exasperated sigh.

“There shouldn’t be any way at all that Eren is able to be in his human form with hormones that high. He would have to remain permanently shifted, or would if he was any normal shifter.” Levi pulled his gaze away from Hange to watch Erwin’s reaction. Erwin’s eyes were closed leaving Levi to guess what that might mean. What were the implications if the data were correct? If Eren wasn’t a dragon shifter, then what was he?

“There’s more. His genetic markers didn’t match other shifters, not exactly. There are some similarities, but it appears genetically different from humans and shifters.” 

“Why do you seem to not be sure?” Hange deflated at the question. Erwin’s sharp gaze focused on them. 

“Well, because the only medical information we have was from when he went in for a fractured wrist eight months ago. The doctors knew he wasn’t human and pulled a blood sample to run against the database, but somehow between now and then, the sample was contaminated.”

“So, we can’t say with certainty that the readings aren’t due to the injury or the contamination?” Erwin questioned. 

“Well, no.” 

“What do you think?” Levi regretted asking before he finished speaking. Hange’s expression was almost terrifying as their eyes glazed over, rapturous at whatever wild hypothesis they had come up with. 

“I think he’s a full-blooded dragon.” The room echoed with the fevered confession. Levi counted to ten before he allowed himself to respond. 

“Have you actually gone blind, or did you hit your head because I’m pretty sure that the Eren I saw had two legs and no wings. Erwin, what was the description on the visual outside his apartment?” Hange waved their hand impatiently, interrupting Erwin before he could follow up with an answer.

“I’m serious, Levi! And even if he isn’t, he definitely isn’t your average shifter.” 

“In regards to your question Levi, Nanaba reportedly saw it and described him as having emerald scales without full body coverage. His hands and face were free of scales, and they assumed his feet were likely similar. No description of eye color as it was too dark to tell, but they said they were blinding. So typical of a normal shifter, if not a little more colorful, but nothing to substantiate the claim there’s anything different, and yet, I’m inclined to agree. He’s not the average shifter.” Levi clicked his tongue. He could visualize Eren so easily with green scales and golden eyes, though he couldn’t be sure the latter was true. 

“Regardless, we’re going to need to bring him into headquarters. Are we agreed that we don’t think he’s involved directly?” Erwin asked as his phone went off. He glanced down, staring at the brightly lit screen, thumbing through a message. Levi mulled over Erwin’s question. True, his lack of credentials had been suspicious and what drew their attention to him in the first place, but it didn’t look like he was involved with the activity they were investigating. There was more that needed to asked to verify that, but if he wasn’t, then that would mean he was a prime target. 

“Looks like you were right about Arlert,” Erwin said, interrupting Levi’s thoughts. He tapped the screen and dialed a number. Levi didn’t have to wait long to figure out what he meant as he and Hange listened in to Erwin setting up a meeting with Jean for Monday afternoon. 

“The call was being traced. Arlert, probably.” Levi shook his head. They needed to clear the air quickly otherwise Arlert’s attentions would be noticed by the wrong party and could jeopardize their whole case.

“I’ll go ahead and throw some clothes on, and meet you back at the office,” Levi said as he drained the rest of his tepid tea. 

“Take your time. We’ll be on duty tonight, and I have plans for us late this evening.” Erwin and Hange left together. Levi didn’t do as Erwin suggested but rushed to get ready. If Eren wasn’t involved in their case, then they were going to need to follow up on their other leads, which meant that he had more work to do. 

Levi always preferred busy days. The days that dragged on with nothing to do were always the worst for him. He needed to be perpetually busy. The day had passed by more quickly than usual as he had slept the morning away and spent his afternoon following up with his team to see what they had found. Erwin strolled into his office as Levi stood in front of the portable corkboard that was littered with images of victims, suspects, and crime scenes. It was cliché, but having the images and potential suspects spread out helped him piece things together. 

“Do you have anything to change into? We’ve got a house visit.” Levi nodded, opening one of the cabinets in room. He kept a few pairs of jeans, sweats, tennis shoes, and t-shirts for things of this nature. Levi didn’t bother to leave his office to change but shut the door and switched into something more comfortable. A look of confusion crossed Erwin’s face.

“You feeling all right?” 

“Yeah, why?” Erwin shook his head. Levi could feel that he was a little flushed, and he had been feeling off for the last couple of hours, but he didn’t think anything of it. Looking at the clock, he had been working for close to ten hours. It was likely hunger and just the need to move around. His muscles felt a little stiff from being in the same position for most of the day. When they got to Erwin’s car, Levi noticed that he was wearing sweatpants instead of jeans and sighed. It said a lot about how off Levi was feeling that he hadn’t really noticed what he had put on. That must have been why Erwin asked if he was feeling well. He hadn’t commented on his appearance, so whomever they were going to see probably wouldn’t be concerned about his clothes.

The car ride was silent. As they pulled into an apartment complex, Levi knew exactly who they were going to see. He ducked down when they passed a car where a familiar lanky figure was sliding into the driver’s seat. Erwin chuckled. Levi had only been to the apartment a handful of times to supervise surveillance or pick up or drop off a report. He felt an odd wave of heat sweep over him after Erwin parked. Levi got out, not bothering to wait for him and strolled up to the front door, knocking loudly. God, he was giving himself a headache from all the pounding. He was starting to wonder if maybe he was catching something after all. Erwin finally caught up, side eyeing his friend as the door opened up.

“How the hell do you two know where I live?” Erwin threw on his politest grin, the one he used almost exclusively for soliciting donations for the Survey Corps.

“Hello, Eren. Please let us in. We’d like to have a word with you.” Levi felt shivers shoot up his spine as Eren made eye contact with him. He paused before stepping back to let them in. Erwin entered first. Levi felt Eren’s breath on his ear and had to resist the urge to roll his shoulders from the almost contact. He knew he was in trouble when he heard the low voice in his ear causing warmth to pool in his belly.

“Your shirt’s on inside out.” Levi looked down.

“Fuck.”


	8. Chapter 8

Jean made his way to his office, a little surprised that Ymir wasn’t at the door waiting for him given that he had “missed” ten of her calls. The quiet office helped to calm him as he was doing a terrible job of ignoring the anxious feeling that had settled in his gut. Eren had told him he was fine, but Jean’s intuition insisted otherwise. Something was happening right now, and he needed to be with Eren. _He needs us._ The small voice in his head felt so loud. 

Jean paced the office trying to devise a plan on how he could get home to check on Eren and be back in time for the next round of _Who is going to buy my club from me?_ There was another group scheduled to come in within the hour for a tour. The owner’s lawyer had insisted that Jean meet with them and explained that afterwards they would officially be accepting bids. He was running out of time if he wanted to be able to go home. He stared blankly at one of the walls and realized as his eyes drifted over the employee schedule that all of his prayers were answered. It was a weekend, which meant his best dancer was working today. Jean pressed the buzzer on his desk that linked to the pager system for his security. Not even a minute later, there was a light knock at the door. 

“Come in!” A tall, freckled man entered the office. He had the sort of face that made you think he wouldn’t hurt a fly. It made seeing him bodily remove people rather satisfying to watch. Jean knew he had placed his trust well when it came to the head of his security team.

“Marco, can you find Armin and bring him up to me?” Marco nodded once and exited. It wasn’t as if Jean couldn’t do it himself, but as he needed to be discreet, this would be the easiest option. It also reminded him that he really needed to the give Marco a raise. The office was too quiet now, and he couldn’t help tapping his fingers against the desk, knee bouncing underneath, waiting for Armin to knock. The door slammed open and Jean’s heart lurched, pounding painfully in his chest.

“What’s wrong?!” Armin looked frantically at Jean. He gestured for him to close the door as he tried to calm his heart rate down.

“Okay, first, maybe don’t slam the door open, but more importantly, I think something’s up with Eren, but he wouldn’t tell me what.” Armin sank into one of the nice leather chairs across the desk from Jean. He was half-dressed for work, well really, more dressed than he needed to be. Armin was already in his shorts, but he also wore a loose fitted long-sleeve shirt. It was probably more comfortable given the slight chill in the building without all the people inside.

“How long ago did you talk to him?” Armin asked after a moment.

“It’s been about fifteen minutes, give or take.” Armin tapped his forefinger on the arm of the chair. He shifted forward, extending an open palm.

“Can I see your phone?” Jean slid his phone over to Armin who had pulled his out of the front pocket of his shirt. Jean leaned over to try and figure out what Armin was doing, but all he could see was him tapping Jean’s screen before Armin’s went off a split second later. He passed Jean’s back to him wordlessly as he continued messing with his own before pressing it to his ear. 

“Hello, is this Mr. Smith?” Armin purred. Jean frowned as he tried to figure out what exactly Armin was doing and how he had gotten the number. 

“Sorry, yes, this is Armin Arlert. I was calling because we were having some trouble getting in touch with Eren, and given my conversation with Levi the other day, we were – yes. Yes.” He paused, looking up at Jean and nodding. 

“Certainly, I would greatly appreciate that. Thank you.” He pulled the phone away from his ear and whispered quickly to Jean.

“He’s with Eren right now. He’s about to pass the phone to him, do you wanna talk to him or do you want me to?” Jean was sure the impatient look on his face had been an answer before Armin had even thought to ask. He held out his phone for Jean. With a deep breath to calm his nerves, Jean raised it to his ear. It made him uncomfortable knowing that Erwin had reached out to Eren at their home, but he needed to know that Eren was okay. Jean waited until he heard Eren’s voice.

“Hello?” All the muscles in his body relaxed. 

“Are you all right?” Jean tried to keep his voice even.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Look, I need to go cos I was in the middle of something, but we’ll talk later, ‘kay?” Jean didn’t feel convinced, but there wasn’t much else he could do at this point short of sneaking out the back door and damaging a huge business deal.

“Please, thank you.”

“I’ll talk to you later,” Eren promised. He hung up before Jean could manage to squeak out an “I love you.” He gave Armin back his phone and readjusted his pant leg before he sat back down. The material was making his thigh itch.

“He said he’d get in touch with me later, but I don’t know, Armin. I’ve got a weird feeling about this.” Armin opened his mouth to respond when they were both startled at the sharp rap at the door. Jean stood up, brushing out any small wrinkles while Armin adjusted his posture to look slightly more professional, as professional as one could in spandex. 

“Come in.” Jean felt a keen sense of déjà vu as three people strolled into his office staring at his subordinate. Armin shot them a polite smile. He was much better at faking it than Eren was. Jean frowned slightly as he tried to place their faces.

“It’s nice to see you again,” Armin offered politely. Jean snapped his fingers in recognition. They frequently visited the VIP lounge, and on more than one occasion, the two gentlemen had asked for dances from both Armin and Eren. Jean slapped on a friendly smile, extending his hand.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again. Jean Kirstein. I take it you’re the ones I’m showing around?” Armin slipped quietly towards the door as the bulky, blond man spoke. 

“It is a pleasure.” His laugh was deep and warm. 

“My name is Reiner Braun. This here is Anne Leonhardt, Annie.” He gestured to the smaller, stoic blonde who gave a curt nod before Reiner’s hand swept back to point out the tall, nervous looking brunet who wheezed a small hello. 

“This is Bertholdt Hoover.” Reiner caught sight of Armin as his hand landed on the doorknob. 

“Hello, Armin.” Jean raised an eyebrow at the low and silky way that Reiner said his name. It wasn’t anywhere near appropriate given what they were all here for, but Armin opted for a sassy nonverbal reply as he leaned back, jutting a hip out and shooting Reiner a smirk. He blew him a kiss over his shoulder as he left. Jean could easily see how Armin made his tips. Confidence oozed off him and left a feeling in the air even after he had left the room. Reiner turned back to Jean.

“You’ve got very attentive staff.” Jean preferred to not think about the possible innuendo in Reiner’s statement, so he ignored the comment and grabbed a plain manila folder off his desk. He had prepared it the night before for Erwin, Hange, and Levi with documentation of his latest numbers, as well as outlines of how business had been since he had been manager. The betrayal still left him seething, but this was the best place to start addressing the situation. If he was attentive and combed through the finer details, it might work out for him in the end. Regardless, as Erwin, Hange, and Levi hadn’t asked for it, it would useful for Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie to look over. He handed the folder over to Reiner who passed it to Annie without looking at it.

“This is a list of specifics concerning the property and a rundown of the current profit margin, as well as an outline of how far it’s come in the last year. Shall we go have a look around?” Reiner clapped a hand on Jean’s back, nearly knocking him off balance. 

“I’d like to view the private rooms section, actually.” Jean blinked at Annie’s request and nodded.

“If you’d follow me, I know you’re already familiar with the VIP lounge, so we’ll breeze through here.” The club had just opened as they made their way downstairs. It was a Sunday night, so the mood was a bit more subdued than a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday would have been, but there were enough people that Reiner, Annie, and Bertholdt all nodded approvingly as they stepped down the main circular staircase into the heart of the club. Jean leaned back over his shoulder to shout loud enough so the three could hear.

“We have two twenty-one and under nights a week, Sunday and Wednesday. We’ve also started doing drink specials in the last couple of months which has done a lot for bringing more people in.” Jean pointed to the two main bars that flanked the dance floor just off the main entrance. 

“Thursday through Saturday, every cage and stage is occupied by our dancers. The rest of the week, we only have a handful.” He motioned for them to follow through to the back behind the DJ’s room. It was much darker in the small hallway. There were more cages here, and on one wall, an attached bench ran the length. The cushioned bench was unoccupied which wasn’t unusual as it was early in the night. Jean lowered his voice before he continued. The music was much quieter back here making it much easier to hear. 

“We conduct some of our private dances in this area. We scale prices for time and privacy. Our rooms are more expensive, obviously, and require whoever is renting it out to pay for at least a twenty minute session.” Jean led them around the corner of the DJ booth and down the familiar hallway to the private rooms. 

“We’ve got six rooms down here that can be used, although we can only access five –” To Jean’s immense surprise, Bertholdt cut him off.

“Only five?”

“The sixth has a bizarre lock on it that the dozens of locksmiths I’ve had come out to take a look can’t open, and I’d frankly rather not break down the door. I’m hiring a specialized professional to come out and see if they can crack it before I resort to using brute force. We tried taking the hinges off, too, but it seems to be sealed from the inside. There’s something preventing us from opening it up. Regardless, I’ve made it work. The rooms are slightly different sizes, so we charge more for the larger spaces.” Jean unlocked the largest room, opening it up for the three behind him. He looked over at the cage and black sofas remembering he had seen Eren in this room last night with Levi, Hange, and Erwin. Reiner nodded appreciatively as he scanned the room, plopping down onto the sofa with a bounce.

“This is nice. Are all of your dancers…exotic?” He paused searching for a word other than stripper. Jean shook his head.

“Some of them do both, usually the ones that are here full time, but the rest normally just come for the weekend to hang out in the cages.” Jean glanced up at the camera in the corner before looking back over to the couch where Annie and Bertholdt had joined Reiner, although neither looked nearly as comfortable as he did. 

“Did you have any other questions or things you’d like to check out?” Jean asked politely. He was ready for this to be over. Reiner leaned forward.

“Well, as a matter of fact, we were wondering if we could talk to –” He was interrupted as the door to the private room opened with Armin leading the way for his guest, a thirty something who looked overly timid despite Armin’s comforting hand on his upper back. 

“Oh! My apologies. I didn’t realize you were planning on using this room,” Armin gasped, flicking his gaze to Jean before directing his full attention to Reiner. Reiner stood up.

“Not at all, we really should probably be on our way.” Armin stood off the side, as his guest sweated behind him and tried to remain inconspicuous. Armin’s eyes followed Reiner as he made for the door. Reiner didn’t bother to hide the fact he was checking out Armin as he passed. Jean looked away. The interaction made him more than a little uncomfortable, but Armin didn’t seem to mind it. 

“Thank you so much for your time, Jean. It’s been a pleasure. We’ll be in touch.” Reiner reached out and shook Jean’s hand again before he turned back to Armin. Jean was pretty sure he heard Reiner lower his voice and add, “Maybe you should call me, Armin,” as they walked out of the room but not before Armin quipped back.

“Maybe _you_ should call _me_.” The door shut behind them, and Jean turned to Armin and his guest who seemed much more relaxed now that the three had left. Jean smiled gently at the pair as he turned to leave them.

“I’ll come see you when I finish up here,” Armin whispered. Jean nodded in acknowledgement before walking as quickly as he could back to his office without actually running. He sighed in relief once he made it back. Jean checked his phone for any missed calls. There was one from Eren and a text message. He opened it.

**From: Babe <3 Today 11:21 PM**  
 _hey hun, don’t worry about calling me back. i’m all right. i’m gonna try and go to bed early, so i may not be up when you get home. wake me up when you get back if i’m sleeping, kay? :) :*_

The knot in his stomach eased slightly at the message. It didn’t seemed coerced, not like Jean was completely certain he would know if it was anyways, but he had the feeling that Eren was telling him the truth. Even still, doubt swirled in his gut. Whatever it was that was making him feel this way wasn’t going away, so he did his best to distract himself with work. 

Jean reorganized all the paperwork on his desk. There were a few applications he needed to go over for the new bartender he was hiring. He sorted the potential applicants into different stacks. Jean knew he ought to hire an assistant while he was at it, but it probably wasn’t the best time given that he was fairly certain someone was about to buy out the club from under him. Although he angrily reminded himself it wasn’t really his in the first place. It had felt like it. He had put so much time, effort, and money into the place. His thoughts were interrupted as Armin quietly entered the office, locking the door behind him.

“So, what’s up with Reiner?” Jean asked, barely holding back his curiosity. Armin scowled.

“What do you mean what’s up with Reiner?”

“You know. Have you…?” Jean trailed off. Armin sighed at the question, tossing back his golden hair.

“Once. You know I can’t resist big, blond, and beefy.” Jean snorted. 

“Look,” Armin dropped his voice, lacing it with a serious tone that immediately had Jean’s attention. 

“We need to talk, but here isn’t a good idea. Is it cool if I stop by your place when we’re done?” Jean was hopeless to decode whatever thought had Armin looking at him so seriously.

“It’s not a problem. Eren texted that he’s all right, and maybe sleeping, so we’ll need to keep it down.” 

“Sure thing, boss man.” Armin pulled out his phone which had started vibrating. His eyebrows flew up into his hairline as he stared down at his phone. Realizing that Jean was staring at him, patiently waiting to be filled in, he coughed tucking the phone back into his shorts.

“On second thought, I may just meet you at your place tomorrow.” Jean laughed and shook his head as Armin blushed clear down to his chest.

“You know, I’m always surprised you can even fit your phone in those.” Jean nodded to Armin’s uniform. 

“Also, don’t forget to use protection.” Jean sang, earning him a not so quiet, “Fuck you” as Armin closed the door behind him.


End file.
